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h8i 


THE 
DRAMA   OF    SAINT   HELENA 


THE  DRAMA  OF 
SAINT    HELENA 


PAUL    FRÉMEAUX 


TRANSLATED   FROM   THE   FRENCH 

BY 

ALFRED    RIEU,    B.A.Cantab. 

AND   THE   AUTHOR 


This  work  was  crowned  by  the  French  Academy  in  their 
Sessio?i  of  the  ijth  of  May,   içoç 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON   AND   COMPANY 

1910 


DEDICATED 

BY     THE     AUTHOR 

TO    HIS    BROTHER 

NESTOR    FRÉMEAUX 


TO    THE    ENGLISH    READER 


ON  the  appearance  of  the  French  edition  of  this 
work,  Les  Derniers  Jours  de  l'Empereur,  a 
professor  of  Oxford  University,  then  unknown 
to  me,  did  me  the  honour  of  writing  me  a  compli- 
mentary letter  in  which  he  inquired  whether  I  intended 
to  publish  a  translation  of  my  book  in  England. 
"National  prejudice,"  he  observed,  "is  rather  strong 
here,  and,  unfortunately  for  you,  there  is  reason  to 
fear  that  people  are  not  yet  prepared  to  hear  the 
whole  truth  about  Saint  Helena." 

My  confidence  in  the  justice  of  the  British  public 
is  greater  than  that  of  my  amiable  correspondent. 

In  my  opinion  that  public  no  longer  nourishes 
any  hatred  against  Napoleon.  I  feel  convinced  even 
that  at  the  present  day  the  Emperor  arouses  as  much 
sympathy  and  admiration  in  England  as  in  France. 
This  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  everything  written 
about  him — and  Heaven  knows  how  much  that  is  ! 
— meets  with  a  welcome  hardly  less  eager  in  London 
than  in  Paris. 

The  English  possess  to  a  greater  degree  than 
any  other  nation  the  courage  of  admitting  their  faults. 


viii  TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER 

They  may  for  a  time  allow  themselves  to  be  blinded 
by  insular  prejudice,  but  a  moment  comes  when  they 
feel  the  need  of  making  atonement  to  the  adversaries 
whom  they  have  disparaged.  So  it  was  with  Joan 
of  Arc  ;  so  it  will  be,  so  it  already  is,  with  Napoleon. 

Not  that  I  intend  to  draw  any  comparison 
between  these  two  historical  characters.  The  warrior 
maid  of  Orleans  was  so  noble,  so  irreproachable, 
that  nowadays  one  cannot  help  wondering  how, 
even  in  her  lifetime,  she  could  have  had  enemies. 
Though  she  fought  for  a  particular  country,  in  a 
sense  she  belongs  to  all  ;  she  may  be  vindicated, 
loved,  venerated  by  every  one  and  everywhere,  for 
surely  she  appears  to  the  whole  of  humanity  as  an 
ideal  personification  of  patriotism.  Napoleon,  on  the 
other  hand,  waged  war  from  motives,  and  with  an 
end,  less  pure  :  in  the  spirit  of  conquest,  and  through 
love  of  domination.  He  is  open  to  the  reproach  of 
excessive  ambition.  But  still,  whatever  his  short- 
comings, the  man  was  great,  one  of  the  greatest 
that  the  world  has  ever  seen — great,  not  only  on 
the  field  of  battle,  but  also  in  the  peaceful  sphere 
of  government  and  legislation.  Moreover,  at  Saint 
Helena,  vanquished,  and  brought  low,  he  had  fallen 
on  evil  days.  These  considerations  are,  I  think, 
sufficient  to  lead  the  English  people  to  agree  with 
me  and  a  higher  authority,  Lord  Rosebery,  that  the 
treatment  meted  out  to  him  during  his  captivity  was 
not  the  one  that  was  proper. 

At     Rochefort,     Napoleon     had     entrusted,     not 


TO  THE  ENGLISH   READER  ix 

delivered,  himself  to  the  British  nation.  No  doubt 
his  situation  then  was  desperate  :  Admiral  Hotham's 
squadron,  by  shutting  off  the  sea,  made  it  difficult 
for  him  to  flee  to  America,  as  he  had  for  a  moment 
intended  ;  on  land,  one  army  alone  remained  to  him, 
that  of  the  Loire,  a  paltry  force,  which  perhaps  he 
could  not  even  have  reached  ;  Louis  xvin.,  and 
another  implacable  enemy,  the  Prussian  marshal, 
Bliicher,  who  spoke  of  having  him  shot,  were 
watching  his  every  movement.  To  embark  on  board 
the  Bellerophoii,  conditionally  or  unconditionally,  was 
on  the  whole  his  wisest  course.  It  is  none  the  less 
true  that,  in  the  negotiations  on  this  point  between 
him  and  Captain  Maitland,  there  was  something 
unfair,  a  lack  of  frankness,  in  the  officer's  attitude. 
The  Captain  knew  full  well,  through  his  private 
instructions,  that  Napoleon  would  not  obtain  in 
England  the  asylum  he  sought,  that  he  would  be 
regarded  there  in  quite  another  light  than  that  of 
a  guest  ;  he  should  have  declared  this  formally, 
without  reserve,  but  he  restricted  himself  to  evasive 
and  ambiguous  replies. 

Granted,  however,  that  the  sovereign,  whom  it 
was  thought  necessary  to  banish  to  the  middle  of  the 
Southern  Atlantic,  was  beyond  all  dispute  a  prisoner, 
why  was  this  prisoner,  who  is  more  royal  in  our  eyes 
than  any  other  king  of  his  time,  denied  the  title 
of  Emperor  ;  and  why  was  he  accorded  only  the 
designation  of  "  General  "  if  not  out  of  mean  revenge, 
and  with  the  object  of  effecting  his  humiliation? 


x  TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER 

Why,  on  an  island  that  boasted  no  palaces,  in- 
deed, but  contained,  in  Plantation  House,  a  mansion 
more  or  less  suitable,  was  he  lodged  at  Longwood, 
a  dwelling  badly  situated,  wretchedly  built,  and 
miserably  furnished  ?  The  objection  is  raised  that 
the  East  India  Company,  to  which  Saint  Helena 
belonged,  had  stipulated,  in  its  act  of  temporary 
cession  to  the  British  Government,  that  Plantation 
should  continue  to  be  the  Governor's  residence. 
Could  any  one  believe  that  the  Company  did  not 
make  this  stipulation  at  the  actual  request  and 
instigation  of  the  British  Government  ? 

Why,  again,  in  so  small  a  land,  and  in  so  safe  an 
ocean-prison,  was  not  the  glorious  captive  allowed 
every  possible  liberty  ?  Like  a  convict,  he  was  only 
permitted  to  send  or  receive  open  letters  ;  all  manner 
of  obstacles  impeded  his  melancholy  walks  ;  his 
English  doctors,  O'Meara  and  Stokoe,  who,  seeing 
him  dying  of  sickness  and  tedium,  showed  him  a 
little  solicitude  and  sympathy,  were  subjected  to 
persecutions.  Napoleon,  it  is  urged,  needed  the 
strictest  surveillance  :  he  had  already  escaped  from 
Elba  ;  he  would  also  have  escaped  from  Saint 
Helena.  What  folly  !  Elba  is  merely  separated  from 
France,  where  Napoleon  reappeared  in  1815,  by  a 
narrow  arm  of  the  sea,  and  France  was  then  expect- 
ing the  Emperor's  return  ;  oceans  intervene  between 
Saint  Helena  and  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  and  Napoleon 
well  knew  that,  once  away  from  the  island,  he  could 
have  landed  only  on  hostile  or  indifferent  shores. 


TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER  xi 

Am  I,  as  I  have  been  styled,  an  Anglophobe, 
because  I  hold  these  opinions  ?  If  so,  Lord  Rosebery 
is  open  to  the  same  charge  ;  and  if  it  is  not  permissible 
for  a  Frenchman  to  take  the  side  of  Napoleon  against 
Lord  Bathurst  and  Hudson  Lowe  in  a  historical 
controversy,  without  incurring  the  reproach  of  Anglo- 
phobia, would  I  not  be  justified  in  replying  that 
English  writers  who  take  the  other  side,  that  of  Lord 
Bathurst  and  of  Hudson  Lowe,  are  Gallophobes? 

The  accusation  is  ridiculous.  After  my  own 
country,  there  is  none  I  love  as  well  as  England, 
where  I  have  lived  and  where  I  possess  numerous 
acquaintances.  Had  I  not  for  twenty  years  and 
more  been  drawn  to  sympathise  with  her  by  my 
sentiments,  I  should,  since  the  entente  cordiale,  be 
impelled  to  do  so  by  my  reason  ;  because,  from 
motives  on  which  it  would  be  idle  to  expatiate, 
I  consider  it  absurd,  and  even  criminal,  for  a 
Frenchman  to  pose  as  an  enemy  of  the  friendly 
nation. 

I  have  just  alluded  to  the  entente  cordiale.  This 
happy  compact  is  sufficiently  strong  to  enable  his- 
torians of  either  race  to  discuss  without  friction  things 
of  the  past,  as  freely  as  they  desire.  I  have  availed 
myself  of  this  freedom  ;  let  no  one  mistake  it  for 
hatred. 

I  may,  however,  appear  somewhat  harsh  towards 
a  certain  Mr.  Seaton,  whose  name  will  be  found  in 
various  pages  of  this  volume.  But  I  must  explain 
that  Mr.  Seaton  was   himself  extremely  rude   to  me, 


xii  TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER 

and  I  am  led  by  some  indications  to  believe  that  he, 
and  a  few  others  besides,  intend  to  be  so  still. 

In  December,  1908,  the  following  notice  appeared 
in  the  bibliography  of  the  Atkenceum  : — 

"  M.  Paul  Frémeaux,  who  a  few  years  ago 
published  Napoléon  Prisonnier,  has  now  given  to  the 
world  a  similar  lucubration,  Les  Derniers  Jours  de 
r Empereur  (Paris,  Flammarion).  As  might  be  ex- 
pected from  the  former  work,  it  is  a  commentary 
of  the  Anglophobe  type.  In  a  bellicose  preface, 
M.  Frémeaux  invokes  blessings  on  Lord  Rosebery 
and  curses  on  Mr.  R.  C.  Seaton.1  But  there  is  no 
great  interest  in  an  attempt  to  furbish  up  anew  the 
rusty  weapons  of  a  bygone  age,  especially  those  of 
O'Meara.  The  writer  has,  however,  enough  honesty 
to  admit  facts  which  tell  against  his  main  theses,  that 
Napoleon  was  the  victim  of  deliberate  persecution  by 
Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  and  that  his  life  was  shortened  by 
privations  at  Longwood.  Thus  he  has  to  allow  that 
from  November  18 19  to  November  1820,  Napoleon 
enjoyed  fairly  good  health.  It  is  noteworthy  that 
this  was  a  time  of  failing  appetite,  which  raises  the 
question  whether  his  consumption  of  richly-cooked 
foods  had  not  been  excessive. 

"  M.  Frémeaux  labours  hard  to  prove  that  liver 
disease  was   in   part   the   cause  of  the  ex-Emperor's 

1  The  "  bellicose  preface  "  is  the  Introduction  which  follows.  Com- 
pare my  "curses"  on  Mr.  Seaton  with  his  insults,  which  are  given, 
pages  311,  312,  and  313. 


TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER  xiii 

death.  Here,  again,  he  has  to  allow  that  the  majority 
of  the  doctors  present  at  the  post-mortem  examination 
declared  the  liver  to  be  in  a  normal  state.  He, 
however,  passes  over  in  silence  the  contemporary- 
letter  of  Montholon  to  his  countess,  declaring  that 
the  disease  could  not  have  been  avoided  even  if 
Napoleon  had  remained  in   Europe." 

The  Athenœum,  I  am  told,  is  a  pedantic  old 
review,  like  senile  people,  rather  hard  to  please  and 
addicted  to  scolding  ;  it  is  continually  finding  fault,  it 
appears,  with  unfortunate  authors,  and  does  not  spare 
the  rod,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  schoolmasters 
who  form  the  most  important  section  of  its  subscribers. 
No  wonder,  then,  it  has  dealt  severely  with  me  !  Still, 
I  am  a  little  surprised  that  even  such  a  periodical 
should  make  use  of  acrimonious  terms  and  contro- 
versial methods  familiar,  I  would  have  thought,  to 
Mr.  Seaton  alone,  and  that  in  imitation  of  a  friend 
of  his — the  author  of  a  book  on  the  Emperor  which 
a  few  English  readers  were  sufficiently  simple  to 
accept  as  The  Life  of  Napoleon  1} — it  should  indulge 
in  so  fanciful  an  allegation  as  the  greed  of  a  man 
who  is  universally  acknowledged  always  to  have  been 
abstemious. 

The  Athenœum  is  good  enough  to  concede  me  a 
modicum  of  honesty  in  the  exposition  of  my  ideas  ; 
much  as  I  regret  it,  I  must  perforce  disallow  this 
review  all  honesty  in  its  criticisms.      It  is  well  aware 

1  See  p.  315,  a  note  on  that  book. 


xiv  TO  THE  ENGLISH   READER 

that    I    do    not    "labour    hard    to    prove    that   liver 
disease   was  in   part  the  cause  of  the  ex- Emperor's 
death."     In  Napoléon  Prisonnier,  whilst  acknowledg- 
ing that  cancer  alone   brought  about  his  decease,   I 
ventured   the  opinion,  it  is  true,   that  the  Emperor's 
health   might   well   have   been  impaired  by  hepatitis 
also.      But  it  is  possible  to  suffer  from   a   complaint 
without   succumbing    to    it  ;     and,    moreover,    in  the 
present    work    I    have    been    so    scrupulous    as    to 
abandon   the    opinion    in   question,   although   several 
doctors  whom   I   consulted  assured  me  that  I  might 
adhere  to  it.      I  actually  say,  in  pages  247,  249  and 
266  of  Les  Derniers  Jours  de  l Empereur,  and  pages 
218,  220  and  236  of  this  translation,  that  O'Meara 
and  Stokoe  were  mistaken  in  diagnosing  hepatitis  in 
their  illustrious  patient.     Again,  in  page  282  of  Les 
Derniers  Jours  de  V Empereur,  and  page  252  of  this 
translation,  I  say  :  "It  is  well  known  at  the  present 
day  that  Napoleon  was  mistaken  as  to  the  nature  of 
his  malady,  and  suffered  from  a  cancer  to  which  very 
likely  he  would  have  been  a  victim,  and  finally  have 
succumbed,  in  any  other  spot.     But  that  does  not  in 
the  least  excuse  the  signal  dishonesty  of  his  gaolers. 
In  spite  of  their  denials,  hepatitis — as  quotations  have 
shown — appeared  to  be  of  common  occurrence  at  Saint 
Helena.    The  Emperor,  who  had  but  too  many  reasons 
for  doubting  the  much-vaunted  salubrity,  could  well 
believe  himself  attacked  by  it."     He  was  the  more 
justified  in  this  belief,  since,  at  the  post-mortem  ex- 
amination, the  perforated  part  of  his  stomach  was  seen 


TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER  xv 

to  adhere  to  the  liver,  and  the  contact  of  an  ulcer 
could  not  fail  to  render  more  or  less  sensitive  the 
latter  organ,  however  healthy  it  is  supposed  to  have 
been. 

If  I  did  not  mention  Count  de  Montholon's  letter 
to  his  countess,  I  refrained  from  doing  so  because  it 
was  quite  useless  to  quote  it,  since,  as  I  have  just 
shown,  I  myself  admit  all  that  letter  admits.  In  so 
short  a  book  as  this  it  is  impossible  to  relate  every- 
thing. But  my  adversaries  may  rest  assured  that  I 
am  keeping  numerous  points  in  reserve,  and  that  I 
shall  have  an  answer  ready  for  all  their  attacks.  To 
give  them  a  single  example,  should  they  consider 
inadequate  the  evidence — weighty  enough,  one  might 
think — which  I  hereafter  adduce  for  the  frequency  of 
hepatitis  at  Saint  Helena  between  1 815  and  182 1,  I 
will  bring  to  light  an  unpublished  document  so 
conclusive  that  even  they  will  be  compelled  to  recognise 
its  value,  and  to  own  themselves  beaten. 

The  Author. 


CONTENTS 


Prefatory  Note  to  the  English  Reader 
Introduction 
I.  The  Island  of  Exile 
II.  The  Governor,  Hudson  Lowe 

III.  The  Emperor 

IV.  The  Tedium  of  Saint  Helena 
V.  The  Illness  of  the  Emperor 

VI.  The  Last  Moments  and  the  Death 
VII.  The  Autopsy  and  the  Funeral. 
Notes  ..... 
A  Summary  Bibliography  of  Saint  Helena 
Index   . 


vu 

i 

16 

37 

7i 

1 20 

212 

272 

302 

in 
361 

371 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Napoleon's  Funeral  Cortège  . 

From  an  old  Print. 

Saint  Helena  (1815)        .... 

From  an  old  Engraving. 

Jamestown  (1816)    ..... 

From  an  old  Engraving. 

The  Landing  of  Napoleon  at  Jamestown   . 

Jamestown,  as  seen  from  the  Road  to  Longwood 
(1816)      

From  an  old  Engraving. 

Longwood  House  ..... 

From  a  recent  Photograph. 

Sir  Hudson  Lowe  .... 

From  a  Pencil  Drawing. 

Jamestown  Harbour  from  the  Fortifications 
Count  de  Las  Cases  (about  1850 
Plantation  House  (181 5) 

From  an  old  Engraving. 

Longwood  Plateau         .... 

From  a  recent  Photograph. 

Mrs.  Abell  (Betsy  Balcombe)  . 

After  the  Portrait  in  her  Recollections  (1844). 

The  Briars.  ..... 

From  an  Engraving  in  Mrs.  Abell's  Recollections  (1844). 

Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena 

From  a  Drawing  by  Captain  Barnes  (1817). 


Fro?itispiecc 
Faciftgp.     1 


24 


37 

So 
57 
64 

67 

78 


xx  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Sulphur  Island    .....  Facing  p.  104 

From  an  Engraving  in  Captain  Basil  Hall's  narrative  of  his 
voyage  (1818). 

Map  of  Saint  Helena    .           .           .           .           .  „  124 

The  Road  round  the  Devil's  Punch  Bowl  (1844)  „  143 

Plan  of  Longwood  House        .          .          .          .  „  158 

Flagstaff  Hill  and  the  Barn  (1844)           .           .  „  171 

General  Grand  Marshal  Bertrand  (about  1850)  „  177 

General  Gourgaud  (1844)         .  .  .  .  ,,191 

General  de  Montholon  (1834)  „  197 

Dr.  John  Stokoe  .......  243 

After  the  Portrait  in  Napoléon.  Prisonnier. 

Sandy  Bay  and  Mount  Pleasant  (18 15)       .  .         „       268 

From  an  old  Engraving. 

Napoleon  on  his  Death-led    .  .  .  .         „       301 

From  a  contemporary  Sketch. 

Napoleon's  Tomb  in  1840  „       307 

The  Embarkation  of  the  Remains  of  Napoleon 
on  Board  the  French  Frigate,  La  Belle 
Poule   ........       309 

After  an  Engraving  of  1844. 


THE 
DRAMA    OF    SAINT    HELENA 


INTRODUCTION. 

PEOPLE  do  not  as  a  rule  care  to  read  introduc- 
tions, and  the  present  one  may  be  neglected 
should  it  be  thought  desirable  to  do  so  :  the  explana- 
tions contained  in  it  are  useful,  but  not  indispensable 
to  the  comprehension  of  what  is  to  follow,  and  I  shall 
avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  afforded  me  to  reply 
to  criticisms  raised  by  a  preceding  volume. 

Under  the  title  Napoléon  Prisonnier,  I  have 
already  published  the  memoirs  of  Dr.  Stokoe,  an 
English  surgeon,  for  some  days  medical  attendant  to 
the  Emperor  in  exile.  The  title  appears  somewhat 
imposing,  compared  to  the  slightness  of  the  memoirs 
in  question.  But  it  seemed  to  me  justified,  because 
no  facts,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  Saint  Helena  show 
as  clearly  as  those  reported  by  Dr.  Stokoe  what  was 
the  treatment  inflicted  on  the  vanquished  of  Waterloo  : 
the  inexcusable,  the  almost  incredible  rigour  of  his 
captivity.  To  such  an  extent,  indeed,  was  the  ex- 
sovereign  a  prisoner,  that  he  was  no  longer  even  free 


2  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

to  choose  his  own  doctor  ;  he  had  no  longer  even  the 
right  to  imagine  himself  ill  and  to  demand  medical 
care,  since  to  style  him  "  the  patient,"  in  a  health- 
report,  constituted  a  fraud,  and  brought  a  surgeon  of 
the  British  Navy  before  a  court-martial.  When,  his 
very  entrails  gnawed  by  that  devouring  vulture,  cancer, 
the  modern  Prometheus,  on  his  rock,  allowed  at  times 
a  groan  to  escape  him,  Lord  Bathurst,  the  Colonial 
Secretary,  sneered,  the  Governor,  Sir  Hudson  Lowe, 
merely  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  both,  foolishly  or 
deliberately  sceptical,  treated  the  dolorous  utterance 
as  a  political  farce. 

The  little  book  in  which  I  produced  a  witness  of 
this  vile  action  was  well  received  in  France,  but  badly 
in  England.  According  to  some  London  journalists, 
Stokoe's  memoirs  are  historically  worthless,  and  did 
not  deserve  to  see  the  light.  I  have  just  ventured  to 
express  a  contrary  opinion.  According  to  others, 
they  were  worthy  of  publication,  but  I  should  have 
refrained  from  adding  commentaries.  Anticipating 
this  objection,  I  made,  at  the  beginning  of  Napoléon 
Prisonnier,  the  following  reply,  which  I  still  persist 
in  repeating:  "I  was  dealing  with  a  too  unskilful 
narrator.  Sometimes,  extraordinarily  diffuse,  he  loses 
the  thread  of  his  story  in  a  maze  of  lengthy  digressions 
and  abounds  in  vain  repetitions  ;  sometimes — an 
inverse  and  even  more  serious  defect — he  treats 
briefly  of  facts  which,  to  be  thoroughly  grasped, 
necessitate  further  development  and  preliminary 
explanations.       In  many  places,    the    doctor  is    only 


INTRODUCTION  3 

intelligible  with  the  aid  of  his  correspondence  and 
a  highly  interesting  document — the  judgment  con- 
demning him  at  Saint  Helena,  on  the  grounds  that 
he  had  expressed  anxiety  with  regard  to  the  Emperor's 
health  and  predicted  his  approaching  end."  I  natur- 
ally concluded,  therefore,  that  a  textual  publication  of 
the  original  would  have  required  notes  so  abundant 
as  to  drown  the  text,  and  constant  references  to  the 
bottom  of  the  pages  which  would  have  wearied, 
annoyed,  and  discouraged  the  reader. 

Several  English  critics  further  reproached  me  with 
having  dared  to  sustain  the  thesis,  contrary  to  the 
observations  made  at  the  post-mortem  examination, 
that  Napoleon  did  not  die  of  cancer.  Let  them  read 
me  carefully  :  I  merely  suggested  that,  besides  cancer, 
the  Emperor  might  have  suffered,  although  in  a  lesser 
degree,  from  a  complaint  diagnosed  by  Stokoe — 
hepatitis. 

In  England,  again,  people  also  reproached  me 
with  having  given  the  impression  that  Saint  Helena 
was  an  unhealthy  island.  All  I  said  was  that  certain 
places  in  Saint  Helena,  afflicted  by  mist  and  excessive 
dampness,  could  not  possibly  be  healthy.  Longwood, 
to  which  Napoleon  was  removed,  is  such  a  place, 
and,  beyond  doubt,  one  of  the  worst. 

After  the  newspapers  and  the  reviews,  a  certain 
Mr.  Seaton  took  me  to  task  in  a  book.  I  must  con- 
clude this  subject  by  a  few  lines  addressed  to  him. 

The  defence  of  Hudson  Lowe  is  such  an 
ungrateful  task  that,  in  the  course  of  nearly  a  century, 


4  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

it  has  only  tempted  two  historians  :  two  historians 
who,  moreover,  as  will  presently  be  seen,  only  form 
one.  The  first,  William  Forsyth,  published,  in  1853, 
an  apology  of  the  Governor  of  Saint  Helena  in  three 
big  volumes.  The  second,  Mr.  R.  C.  Seaton,  gave  a 
summary  of  this  apology,  in  1898,  in  a  little  octavo 
book  in  which  he  wisely  refrained  from  inserting  any- 
thing individual.  His  sole  ambition  appears  to  have 
been  then  to  supply  the  British  public  with  a  lighter 
Forsyth,  a  kind  of  pocket  Forsyth.  Later,  in  1903, 
Mr.  Seaton  thought  fit  to  revive  his  manual,  still 
without  introducing  any  original  details  or  ideas,  but 
making-  a  somewhat  extravagant  attack  on  Lord 
Rosebery,  and — the  honour  was  indeed  unexpected 
— on  myself,  in  addition. 

Although  Lord  Rosebery  spoke  most  indulgently 
of  his  talents  in  The  Last  Phase,  he  cannot  forgive 
him  that  work,  and  especially  the  hope  therein  ex- 
pressed, that  the  history  of  Saint  Helena  might  be 
erased  from  that  of  England.  He  therefore  informs 
the  historian-statesman  that  the  success  of  his  book 
is  due  entirely  to  the  author's  prominent  position  ;  he 
describes  it  as  poor  and  amateurish,  ill  documented, 
ill  composed,  and  ill  written.  In  short,  he  declares  it 
fastidious,  and  brands  it  with  the  following  amusing 
reproach  :  "  It  is  lively  and  agreeable  reading  for  the 
first  time.  .  .  .  To  read  it  a  second  time  is  not  so 
easy.  .  .  ."  Such,  of  course,  is  not  the  case  with  Mr. 
Seaton,  who  is  evidently  persuaded  that  innumerable 
people  all  over  the  world  devote  their  days  and  nights 


INTRODUCTION  5 

and  sacrifice  their  eyesight  to  repeated  perusal  of  his 
prose. 

The  Earl  of  Rosebery  so  far  surpasses  his  assail- 
ant in  every  way,  that  he  disdained  answering  him. 
Even  in  a  new  edition  of  The  Last  Phase,  published 
in  1904,  the  noble  Lord,  like  the  sun  of  Monsieur  de 
Pompignan,  continued  to  show  the  obscure  blasphemer 
his  undisturbed  good-will.1  Not  being  myself  one 
of  the  great,  I  lack  such  magnanimity,  and  pay 
attention  to  the  individual.  Perhaps  my  attention 
is  misplaced. 

I  shall  only  notice  the  least  of  his  amenities.  He 
accuses  me  of  ignorance.  Ignorant  of  matters  relating 
to  Saint  Helena!  Should  I,  in  this  respect,  resemble 
that  collector  of  clocks,  who  used  to  examine  so  many 
that  his  mind  was  confused  and  he  no  longer  knew 
the  correct  time  ?  For  nearly  ten  years  I  have  been 
gathering  together  and  studying  all  the  publications 
concerning  Napoleon's  captivity.  My  knowledge  of 
the  subject  is,  I  venture  to  believe,  considerable 
enough.     Let    Mr.   Seaton    only   give  up  his   ready 

1  An  allusion  to  the  following  verses  by  Lefranc  de  Pompignan,  a 
French  poet  of  the  eighteenth  century  : — 

"Le  Nil  a  vu  sur  ses  rivages 
De  noirs  habitants  des  déserts 
Insulter  par  leurs  cris  sauvages 
L'astre  éclatant  de  l'univers. 
Cris  impuissants  !     Fureurs  bizarres  ! 
Tandis  que  ces  monstres  barbares 
Poussaient  d'insolentes  clameurs, 
Le  dieu,  poursuivant  sa  carrière, 
Versait  des  torrents  de  lumière 
Sur  ses  obscurs  blasphémateurs." 


6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

insults  and  vague  generalities,  and  we  shall  discuss 
at  leisure,  some  day,  questions  that  interest  me  as 
greatly  as  they  interested  the  late  Forsyth. 

To  tell  the  Emperor's  end,  I  was  obliged  to 
search  the  archives,  but,  above  all,  I  made  use  of 
the  collection  of  printed  works  to  which  I  have 
just  alluded.  Some  of  these  works  are  of  great, 
others  of  slight  importance  ;  some  still  extremely 
well  known,  others  almost  forgotten.  I  have  dis- 
dained none  of  them,  always  taking  care,  however,  to 
weigh  all  the  evidence  and  to  verify  all  information. 
The  bibliography  of  Saint  Helena  is  far  from  being 
as  simple  or  poor  as  is  imagined  by  the  learned 
Mr.  Seaton,  whose  curiosity  is  quickly  satisfied  by 
the  three  volumes  of  Forsyth  and  a  score  of 
supplementary  books.  It  comprises  hundreds  of 
varied  publications,  of  which  the  most  important 
are  undoubtedly  the  notes  in  journal  form  and  the 
miscellaneous  papers  of  the  Emperor's  companions, 
such  as  Las  Cases  or  Gourgaud  ;  of  Englishmen, 
such  as  Hudson  Lowe  or  O'Meara  ;  and  the  reports 
of  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  of  Baron  Sturmer 
and  of  Count  Balmain,  the  delegates  of  Louis  xviii., 
of  Austria  and  of  Russia  in  the  drama  of  banishment. 
But  besides  the  celebrated  historiographers  of  the 
captivity,  there  are  obscure  and  modest  narrators 
from  whom  we  may  yet  learn  much.  For  instance, 
in  a  pamphlet  printed  at  Chateauroux  in  1877,  now 
extremely  rare,  a  servant  of  General  Bertrand,  called 
Bouges,  adds  somewhat  to  our  knowledge  of  private 


INTRODUCTION  7 

life  at  Longwood.  At  times,  very  technical  works, 
of  which  the  titles  do  not  indeed  suggest  Saint 
Helena,  afford  the  surprise  of  containing  pages 
dealing  with  the  island.  Thus  we  find  L1  Art  de 
la  Cuisine  Française  au  XIXe  Siècle,  by  Antoine 
Carême,  in  which  Napoleon's  last  cook,  Chandelier, 
informs  his  illustrious  colleague  and  ourselves  about 
the  Emperor's  fare,  diet  and  privations  in  exile. 
And  thus,  again,  we  find  books  of  travel,  appar- 
ently, at  a  first  glance,  merely  concerning  the  Cape, 
India,  Australia  or  China.  Sailing  the  high  seas, 
between  1815  and  182 1,  the  author  —  merchant, 
government  official,  soldier  or  sailor  by  profession — 
touched  at  the  narrow  shore  where  a  conqueror  was 
wasting  away.  He  expressed  a  wish  to  see  the 
former  master  of  Europe.  Occasionally  the  audience 
he  solicited  was  granted,  and,  like  Captain  Basil  Hall, 
he  relates  his  visit  to  Longwood  at  length.  Generally 
he  could  only  revolve  round  the  enticing  dwelling 
with  curious  gaze,  but,  even  then,  is  very  often  able 
to  furnish  us  with  some  interesting  detail. 

Scattered  bits  of  information  are  not  to  be 
neglected.  When  patiently  gleaned,  they  finally 
form  a  sheaf,  and  create  a  whole,  of  which  the  value 
is  equal  to,  if  not  greater  than,  that  of  many  memoirs. 

Well  satisfied,  therefore,  when  I  could  discover 
a  useful  line  here  and  there,  I  also  consulted  the 
historical  records  of  the  regiments  in  whose  keeping 
the  imperial  prisoner  was  placed,  ran  through  news- 
papers, reviews,  letters,  and  catalogues  of  autographs. 


8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Further  and  lastly,  it  has  always  seemed  necessary 
to  me  to  include  in  the  bibliography  of  the  Captivity 
a  numerous  category  of  publications,   to  which  little 
attention  has  been  bestowed  :  I  mean  the  publications 
relating  to  Saint   Helena    itself,    to   its   features,    its 
orography,  its  climate,  its  flora  and  fauna.      Hitherto 
historians  have  not  overtaxed  themselves  by  describ- 
ing the  island  which  Napoleon  inhabited  for  nearly 
six    years.       To    those    who    are    indignant    at    the 
Emperor's    deportation    there,    it    is    a    horrible,   un- 
healthy   rock  ;    to    those    who    defend    the    acts    and 
plead  the  good  intentions  of  the  British  Government, 
it   is   an  agreeable   and   healthy  spot.     They  tell  us 
nothing  more,   or   if  so,   their   descriptions  are,  as  a 
rule,  so   colourless,   so   entirely   commonplace,   as   to 
apply  equally  well  to   a  hundred  other  little  ocean- 
territories.     Yet  who  can  show  a  captive's  sufferings 
without     describing     his    prison  :    who    attempt    to 
imagine   the   great   exile's  state  of  mind  and  depict 
his    sorrows    without   placing   him    again    on    a    soil 
precisely   different  from   most  soils,    under  a  sky  of 
a    very    particular    appearance  ?       Nowhere    is    the 
reconstruction    of     the     environment     so     essential. 
Napoleon,   at    the    active   periods    of   his    life,    when 
fighting  battles,  negotiating,  administering,  decreeing, 
legislating,   is    too  much   engrossed   by  men    to  pay 
heed  to  Nature,  and  remains,  as   we    may   suppose, 
unconscious    of     his    surroundings.       Moreover,     he 
passes    swiftly  everywhere.       But  at   Saint    Helena, 
inactive   and    sedentary,    the    empty    hours    of    his 


INTRODUCTION  9 

misfortune  dispose  him  to  contemplation.  Does  he 
behold  with  indifferent  eyes  the  bald  gum-trees  that 
encircle  his  habitation,  the  basaltic  peaks  that  over- 
top it,  and  the  ocean  almost  always  widowed  of 
sails — the  ocean,  his  head  gaoler, — roaring  and 
spreading  afar  at  the  foot  of  Longwood  plateau  ? 

I  have  given  a  prominent  place  in  this  Essay 
to  the  scenery  of  the  island  of  exile. 

As  for  the  actual  facts  of  my  narrative,  among 
the  extremely  varied  publications  which  I  have 
consulted,  two  were  especially  useful  to  me  :  a  book 
and  a  pamphlet.  The  book  is  by  Dr.  Henry,  like 
Stokoe,  an  English  surgeon  ;  the  pamphlet  also  by 
a  surgeon,  Dr.  Arnott.  The  chronicles  of  Saint 
Helena  owe  much  to  physicians.  Hardly  had 
Napoleon  left  Europe  when  William  Warden  broke 
the  silence  ordered  about  his  name  by  publishing 
his  Letters.  They  were  followed  by  the  celebrated 
works  of  O'Meara.  Every  one  knows  Antommarchi's 
Diaiy.  Counting  Stokoe,  and  adding  Henry  and 
Arnott,  we  see  that  six  of  the  memorialists  of  the 
Captivity  belonged  to  a  profession  usually  little 
concerned  with  supplying  contributions  to  history. 
Nor  is  it  surprising.  Warriors  and  statesmen,  chiefly, 
have  chronicled  the  Emperor's  days  of  power  and 
glory  ;  physicians  relate  the  days  of  his  suffering 
and  approaching  death  ;  it  is  only  natural. 

For  a  reason  that  will  be  understood  later,  I 
shall  speak  at  some  length  of  Dr.   Henry. 

His  memoirs  take  the  shape  of  an  autobiography, 


io  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

and  only  partially  deal  with  Saint  Helena.  We 
learn  from  them  that  the  author  was  born  in  1 79 1, 
at  Donegal,  a  little  town  in  the  north  of  Ireland. 
The  nephew  of  a  medical  officer,  he  wished  to 
become  an  army  surgeon,  pursued  the  requisite 
studies  at  Dublin,  passed  his  examinations  at 
London,  and,  considered  competent  "to  cut  up 
scientifically  the  King's  lieges,"  was  sent  to  Portugal 
about  the  middle  of  181 1. 

The  moment  was  propitious.  Wellington's  army 
was  leaving  the  lines  of  Torres  Vedras.  After  tactics 
of  retreat  and  defence,  it  was  to  experience  a  victori- 
ous advance,  to  drive  back  the  French  out  of  the 
Peninsula,  to  cross  the  Pyrenees  behind  them  and 
only  stop  on  reaching  Toulouse,  at  the  peace  of 
1814. 

The  assistant-surgeon,  Henry,  witnessed  the 
taking  of  Badajoz,  the  battles  of  Arapiles,  of  Vittoria, 
of  Orthez,  and  of  Aire. 

One  trait  of  his  character  immediately  appears 
in  his  account  of  the  campaign.  A  native  of  that 
non-Celtic  part  of  Ireland,  Ulster,  the  population 
of  which  prides  itself  upon  its  Anglo-Saxon  origin, 
he  is  intensely  English,  more  English  than  an 
Englishman  of  England.  He  treats  foreign  peoples 
with  great  contempt  and  little  sympathy,  and  no 
matter  how  unfair  the  dealings  of  the  British  with 
other,  even  friendly,  nations,  his  indulgence  is  never 
wanting.  When  his  fellow-countrymen  offer  hams, 
made    of    Frenchmen    salted    and    smoked,    to    their 


INTRODUCTION  1 1 

allies  the  Portuguese,  in  exchange  for  bottles  of 
rum,  Henry  indeed  blames  them  out  of  respect 
for  the  human  race,  but  one  feels  that  at  bottom 
he  deems  the  joke  a  venial  one,  and  that  he  laughs 
at  it.  When  Wellington's  troops  deliver  Badajoz, 
the  inhabitants  celebrate  the  joyful  event  by 
illuminating  the  streets  ;  but  their  surprise  is  great 
at  seeing  the  liberators  fire  on  their  lanterns,  invade 
their  houses,  break  their  furniture,  rob  them  of  their 
money,  violate  the  women,  kill  those  that  resist  or 
protest,  and,  finally,  staving  in  the  casks  in  the 
cellars,  wallow  for  twelve  hours  in  alcohol  and  mire. 
"  It  ought  not  to  be  concealed,  however,"  Henry 
coolly  remarks,  "that  the  Spaniards  had  chiefly  their 
own  imbecility,  cowardice  and  treachery  to  thank 
for  their  sufferings  at  Badajoz.  Chiefly  on  the 
cowardly  Governor,  Jose  de  Imaz,  who  surrendered 
with  his  garrison  of  8000  men,  when  he  was  told 
that  help  was  at  hand,  rests  the  moral  responsibility 
of  all  the  ills  that  followed  after  the  occupation  of 
the  city." 

In  dealing  with  the  French,  his  criticisms  are, 
as  one  may  imagine,  even  more  severe.  When, 
infuriated  by  cruel  guerillas,  they  plunder,  violate, 
and  massacre  like  the  English,  he  finds  no  excuse 
for  them.  And  if  he  does  not  deny  their  courage,  he 
at  any  rate  considers  them  ridiculous  under  circum- 
stances where  other  people  would  more  readily 
perceive  tragedy  and  grandeur.  For  instance,  after 
an    engagement   at   Barrioplano,    he   attends   to    the 


12  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

wounded,  two  convoys  of  whom  the  ambulance  corps 
brings  in  and  installs  on  the  ground-floor  of  a  house. 
Henry   proceeds    there    armed   with    his    operating 
knives  and  his  saw.     On  his  arrival  he  is  surprised 
to  hear  the  sound  of  a  violent  dispute.      By  an  un- 
happy   chance    compatriots    serving    under    different 
flags  had  just  been  brought  together  again  :  officers 
of    Soult's    army,    and    other    French    officers     of 
Wellington's  army,  royalists  enlisted  in  the  Chasseurs 
Britanniques.         "  Traitors,      cowardly      slaves      of 
England  !"      roared     the     former.        ''Brigands     of 
Bonaparte  !     Sans  culottes  !  "  yelled  the  latter.     The 
entry   of  the    surgeon   come    to    probe    their  painful 
wounds,   to  amputate   some,  to  trepan   others,  failed 
to    silence    them  ;    his    exhortations    were   unable    to 
calm    them.        Many,     mutilated    beyond     recovery, 
were  to  die  on  the  following  day,  but  so  great  was 
their   offended    patriotism,    so    great    their    political 
hatred,  that  they   yet  had    strength    to   raise   them- 
selves on  their  improvised  litters  and  threaten   each 
other  with  stumps  of  arms,  to  curse  each  other  with 
fractured  jaws.      It  must  have  been  a  moving  sight  ! 
What  impression   does   it   make  on   Henry  ?     What 
reflections  are  aroused   by  this    conflict   between    an 
exasperated,  but  extremely  noble  sentiment,  and  the 
mad  fury  of  a  passion,  odious,  no  doubt,  but  common  to 
all  nations?     Henry  remarks  that  "it  was  altogether 
a  most  laughable  scene  most  genuinely  French." 

This  narrowness  of  vision,  this  shallow  jingoism, 
accompany    him   everywhere.      After  the  Peninsular 


INTRODUCTION  1 3 

War  he  goes  to  India,  on  a  campaign  of  which  I 
need  not  speak  here  ;  and  finally  to  Saint  Helena, 
where,  as  in  Spain,  he  looks  at  everything  from  an 
exclusively  English  point  of  view.  In  Napoleon 
disarmed,  in  the  vanquished  genius,  scoffed  at  by 
the  conqueror  and  tortured  by  disease,  he  sees 
nothing  more  than  the  enemy  of  England  ;  with 
prejudiced  eye,  he  watches  his  attitude,  his  last 
gestures  and  his  death. 

Henry's  contribution  of  a  hundred  pages  to  the 
history  of  the  Captivity  is  none  the  less  interesting. 
The  assistant-surgeon  gives  a  remarkably  complete 
account  of  a  visit  to  Longwood  paid  by  the  officers 
of  the  66th,  the  regiment  to  which  he  belonged, 
and  also  certain  details  with  regard  to  the  post- 
mortem examination  of  the  Emperor,  not  to  be 
found  elsewhere.  A  familiar  guest  at  the  house  of 
Hudson  Lowe,  he  adds  a  few  traits  to  the  Governor's 
portrait.  With  rapid  strokes  of  the  pencil  he 
sketches  two  or  three  less  important  figures.  Better 
still,  he  describes,  though  very  briefly,  the  dull  life 
of  Saint  Helena,  tells  the  impression  produced  by 
the  isolated  aspects  of  the  island  on  Napoleon's 
guardians.  And  the  boredom  of  the  gaolers  helps 
us  to  imagine  the  sad  days  of  the  great  prisoner. 

Henry  has  served  my  purpose  in  a  double 
manner.  He  has  supplied  me  with  information  ; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  he  plays,  throughout  this 
volume,  the  part  of  a  character  whose  frequent 
presence  will   perhaps  sufficiently  retain  the  reader's 


14  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

attention  during  the  occasional  absence  of  the 
principal  personage,  Napoleon.  I  have  begun  my 
narrative  at  his  arrival  at  Saint  Helena,  in  July, 
1817.  His  changes  of  place  in  the  island  have 
given  me  the  opportunity  of  attempting  to  describe 
it,  while  his  anecdotes  and  sketches  enabled  me  to 
present  a  wide  series  of  events  and  general  pictures, 
and  his  defence  of  Hudson  Lowe  to  discuss  the 
Governor's  acts,  the  behaviour  of  the  British  Cabinet, 
and  the  eulogies  of  Forsyth  and  Seaton. 

Very  different  from  Henry's  book,  which,  in  a 
varied  and  succinct  shape,  comprises  four  years  of 
the  Captivity,  is  Dr.  Arnott's  pamphlet,  which  I 
also  mentioned  as  having  been  of  special  utility  to 
me.  It  only  deals  with  the  last  five  weeks  of 
Napoleon's  life,  during  which  this  English  surgeon, 
called  to  Longwood,  attended  the  Emperor  in  con- 
sultation with  Antommarchi.  Strictly  speaking,  it 
is  merely  a  sequence  of  thirty-five  bulletins  noting 
day  by  day  the  state  of  the  patient,  his  treatment, 
diet,  intestinal  pains,  fever,  vomitings,  and  excretions. 
In  Forsyth's  judgment,  it  is  better  to  draw  a  veil 
over  the  realistic  details  of  an  illustrious  end.  I  do 
not  agree  with  that  opinion.  I  think  that  one  must 
not  be  afraid  of  describing  how  the  greatest  of  all 
warriors  died  nobly  in  bed — a  death  less  glorious 
perhaps,  but  harder  far  than  that  on  the  field  of 
battle.  I  have  consulted  Arnott  for  the  medical 
particulars  of  my  sixth  chapter.  Here  and  there  I 
have  curtailed  his  narrative.     Not  that  I  feared  that 


INTRODUCTION  1 5 

to  insist  on  the  distresses  of  Napoleon's  supreme 
agony,  or  even  the  result  of  a  remedy,  could  in  any 
way  belittle  the  Emperor,  but  in  order  to  avoid  the 
monotony  of  certain  repetitions.  With  the  aid  of  all 
the  documents,  I  have,  on  the  other  hand,  lengthened 
the  physician's  account  by  adding  to  it  the  words 
and  gestures  of  the  dying  Csesar.  His  greatness,  it 
will  be  seen,  remained  in  the  midst  of  his  sufferings 
and  in  spite  of  the  sanies  of  his  last  moments. 

Arnott's  pamphlet,  of  which  only  a  few  copies 
were  printed,  in  1822,  is  almost  undiscoverable.  It 
is  not  so  rare  to  happen  upon  Henry's  book  ;  Mr. 
Seaton  has  it  in  his  library  and  quotes  from  it 
occasionally.  Very  few  students  of  Napoleon's  life, 
however,  know  a  work  published  at  Quebec,  in  1839, 
under  the  somewhat  enigmatic  title  :  Trifles  from 
my  Portfolio,  a  work  of  which  another  edition  was 
issued  in  London,  in  1843,  under  the  superior  title: 
Events  of  a  Military  Life,  but  which  concerns  India 
— I  think  I  have  mentioned  the  fact — and  Canada, 
where  Henry  terminated  his  career  and  rose  to  a 
high  rank,  even  more  than  the  Peninsular  War  and 
Saint  Helena. 

I  have  now  fully  explained  the  way  in  which  my 
narrative  has  been  composed  ;  I  have  said  how 
numerous  and  varied  are  my  sources.  The  reader 
will  find  here  much  that  is  new  to  him,  much,  indeed, 
so  little  known,  that  I  might  almost  say  it  has  never 
been  published. 

P.  F. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE. 

ON  the  2nd  of  April,  1817,  the  first  battalion  of 
the  66th  Regiment  of  British  infantry,  stationed 
in  the  valley  of  the  Ganges,  embarked  at  Calcutta  for 
Saint  Helena  on  the  transport,  the  Dorah.  Among  the 
officers  figured  the  assistant-surgeon,  Walter  Henry. 
The  coincidence  of  military  transfers  was  thus  to 
bring  this  young  doctor,  who  kept  a  diary,  before  a 
spectacle  well  worth  noting  :  the  end  of  Napoleon. 

Henry  knew  nothing  about  the  spot  towards 
which  his  ship  was  bearing  him,  save  that  the  vessels 
of  the  East  India  Company,  returning  to  England 
from  Asia,  occasionally  called  at  the  island  to 
replenish  their  supply  of  clear  water  and  fresh  pro- 
visions. His  imagination,  therefore,  evoked  visions 
of  springs,  orchards,  plentiful  kitchen-gardens,  and 
meadows  covered  with  cattle.  He  pictured  Saint 
Helena  as  one  of  those  oases  of  the  sea  "  dotted, 
here  and  there,  in  the  midst  of  immense  tracts  of  ocean 
for  beneficent  purposes  by  the  hand  of  Nature." 
Half-way,  a  call  at  Mauritius  enabled  him  to  visit  its 
woods  wreathed  with  creepers  and  the  pleasant  sites 
described  in  Paul  et    Virginie.     A   little  later,   from 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  17 

the  open  sea,  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  Bourbon,  its 
luxuriant  ravines,  the  Piton  des  Neiges,  and  the 
pretty  capital  with  trellised  houses,  situated  on  a 
beach  whitened  by  surf.  Saint  Helena  was  surely, 
like  Mauritius  and  Bourbon,  a  tropical  garden  re- 
freshed by  limpid  streams,  where  fan-palms  in  flower 
and  carpets  of  fine  grass  were  to  be  seen  at  the  edge 
of  the  strand,  while  in  the  background  of  the  land- 
scape rose  beautiful  noble  mountains. 

But  on  the  morning  of  July  5th,  when  three  weeks 
had  elapsed  since  the  Dorah  had  rounded  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  the  watch  again  shouted  :  "  Land 
ahoy!"  And  Henry,  running  from  his  cabin  onto 
the  deck,  perceived  "the  ugliest  and  most  dismal 
rock  conceivable,  of  rugged  and  splintered  surface, 
rising  like  an  enormous  black  wart  from  the  face  of 
the  deep."     It  was  Saint  Helena. 

Close  to,  the  uncouth  islet  assumed  another  shape. 

To  reach  the  anchorage,  for  a  long  time  the  ship 
hugged  the  coast.  Everywhere  it  soared,  in  perpen- 
dicular layers  of  basalt,  to  giddy  heights,  resembling 
a  wall  ruined  in  places  at  the  top  ;  the  sea,  below, 
foamed  about  the  crumbling  boulders.  The  sombre, 
jagged  rampart,  the  battlements  of  which  were  sur- 
mounted here  and  there  by  huge  natural  pilasters  like 
towers,  suggested  a  Gothic  castle — a  gigantic  castle, 
disdaining  the  narrow,  precise  limits  of  rivers,  and 
aspiring  to  command  the  vague,  the  infinitely  wide 
road,  where  the  trade-winds  drive  the  vessels  in  that 
part  of  the  Atlantic. 


1 8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Promontories,  following  each  other  at  almost 
regular  intervals,  gave  the  illusion  of  bastions.  Now 
and  then,  at  their  summits,  cannons  glistened,  masts 
hoisted  signals.  It  was  evident  from  these  signs  that 
the  island-fortress  was  guarded.  But  how  could 
men  live  there  ?  Saint  Helena  appeared  to  be  as 
inhospitable  as  it  was  formidable.  In  two  or  three 
places  the  cliff  yawned  a  moment  :  the  eye,  searching 
the  gaps  through  the  best  glasses,  could  discover 
only  sterile  blocks.  No  trace  of  vegetation  :  not  a 
single  shrub  or  tuft  of  grass  ! 

The  brows  of  all  on  board  the  Dorak  had  grown 
dark,  when  the  transport,  sailing  beyond  a  projection 
hollowed  by  casemates,  entered  an  opening  in  the 
coast — a  narrow  bay  further  defended  by  a  parallel 
counterfort,  armed  also,  and  crowned  with  embrasures-. 
But  in  the  background,  on  a  short  strip  of  beach,  a 
score  of  green  trees  gave  a  bright  note  of  colour. 

Behind  the  trees,  rising  above  a  mean  church  with 
a  square  tower,  stretched  a  street  of  whitewashed 
English-looking  houses,  without  verandahs  or  any 
of  the  picturesque  architectural  features  of  colonial 
dwellings.  Before  the  travellers'  eyes  was  Jamestown, 
a  township  of  fifteen  hundred  souls,  the  port  and 
unique  community  of  Saint  Helena. 

"  Jamestown  is  seated  in  a  cleft  between  two  steep 
mountains,  as  if  it  was  placed  at  the  bottom  of  an 
enormous  V  ;  and  their  nearly  perpendicular  sides, 
fourteen  or  fifteen  feet  high,  are  studded  with  huge 
rocks  jutting  out  frightfully,  and  threatening  destruction 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  19 

to  the  houses  and  everything  at  the  bottom.  In 
fact,  there  is  great  danger,  and  accidents  do  occur 
occasionally  from  a  small  stone  becoming  casually 
detached  at  the  top  and  setting  more  formidable  ones 
in  motion  in  the  course  of  its  descent." 

Henry  only  made  a  short  stay  in  this  not  very  re- 
assuring spot.  Hardly  had  the  troops  conveyed  by 
the  Dorah  disembarked,  when  they  received  orders 
to  make  for  Deadwood,  on  the  opposite  coast,  close  to 
Longwood,  where  Napoleon  resided. 

They  were  obliged  to  cross  the  entire  northern 
part  of  the  island  from  west  to   east. 

On  leaving  Jamestown,  the  road  immediately 
climbs  one  of  the  rugged  partitions  which  enclose 
that  place.  Although  narrow,  it  was  practicable  for 
carriages.  Hewn  with  great  difficulty  out  of  the 
mountain-side,  its  construction  had  formerly  cost  the 
lives  of  innumerable  slaves.  On  the  left  of  the  high- 
way, the  ochre-coloured  rock  reverberated  the  tropical 
heat,  rendered  by  this  further  aggravation  unbearably 
fierce  even  to  men  coming  from  India.  On  the  right, 
a  parapet  made  of  uncemented  sandstone  bordered  the 
abyss.  Looking  over  this  negligent  barrier,  the 
ascending  traveller  could,  at  first,  see  the  dwindling 
riband  of  receding  houses  ;  then,  only  the  bottom  of 
a  gorge  where  hardly  anything  grew,  where  high 
stones  rose  in  close  proximity  as  in  a  cemetery,  by 
the  side  of  other  recumbent  stones,  among  heaps  of 
pebbles  that  had  streamed  down  from  the  slopes. 

Meanwhile  the  gloomy  vale  widened  out  a  little, 


20  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

and  suddenly,  on  a  patch  of  rising  ground  in  the 
middle,  a  habitation  appeared.  It  was  called  The 
Briars,  and  belonged  to  a  merchant  named  Balcombe  ; 
Napoleon  had  stayed  there,  on  his  arrival  in  the 
island,  from  October  18th  to  December  ioth,  1815, 
until  his  actual  residence,  Longwood,  was  ready  to 
receive  him. 

He  occupied  a  pavilion,  consisting  of  a  single 
room  and  a  garret,  fifty  paces  from  a  cottage  which 
formed  the  principal  construction.  A  poor  lodging 
indeed  !  Yet  the  Emperor  did  not  dislike  living 
there  ;  and,  when  one  thoroughly  considers  the  history 
of  his  life  from  Waterloo  to  the  5th  of  May,  1821,  it 
is  probably  in  this  retreat  that  he  spent  the  least 
unhappy  weeks  of  his  last  six  years. 

After  the  discouragement  of  defeat,  the  de- 
spondency and  hesitancy  of  the  Elysée  and 
Malmaison,  and,  especially,  after  the  anguished 
uncertainty  of  Rochefort,  he  felt  true  relief  at  seeing 
his  lot  settled.  He  resigned  himself  to  the  hard- 
ships inflicted  by  the  English,  realising  how  much 
they  would  add  to  his  greatness,  found  a  task  to 
accomplish  in  exile,  and  said  to  the  Frenchmen 
who  followed  him  :  "  We  shall  write  our  memoirs." 
Perhaps  at  that  moment  he  still  cherished  vague 
hopes,  quickly  to  be  abandoned.  He  believed,  at 
all  events,  in  the  possibility  of  political  surprises 
enabling  him  to  regain  his  liberty. 

Following  a  fatiguing  crossing,  and  three  months' 
confinement    on    board    the    Bellerophon    and     the 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  21 

Northumberland,  two  ships  that  only  afforded 
narrow  accommodation,  The  Briars  must  have 
appeared  to  him,  by  contrast,  as  a  place  of  rest 
and  an  almost  comfortable  dwelling.  Moreover, 
he  was  fascinated  by  the  strangeness  of  the  site  : 
a  very  green  hillock  situated  in  the  centre  of  a 
desolate  amphitheatre,  a  kind  of  suspended  garden, 
overlooked  in  its  turn  by  a  loftier  rocky  enclosure 
which  shut  in  the  horizon  on  every  side  except 
towards  Jamestown  and  the  sea,  half  a  league 
away. 

Facing  the  buildings,  was  an  avenue  of  Banian 
fig-trees.  On  the  bushy,  intertwining  branches  of 
their  multiple  trunks,  turtle-doves  cooed,  attracted 
by  the  scarlet  fruit.  Huge  lacos,  magnificent 
pomegranates,  and  clusters  of  myrtles  shaded  the 
rest  of  the  terrace  ;  white  roses  and  wild  geraniums 
in  profusion  brightened  the  cactus  hedge. 

Behind  the  pavilion,  again,  extended  an  orchard, 
a  long,  steep,  and  narrow  strip  of  ground,  planted 
with  vines,  lemon-trees,  orange-trees,  guavas  with 
their  transparent  leaves,  mangoes  with  their  bunches 
of  red  flowers.  This  corner  of  The  Briars  fronted 
the  bare,  circular  wall  of  the  mountain.  There,  the 
sound  of  a  cascade  alone  broke  the  silence  and 
disturbed  the  solitude.  The  waterfall  rushing  forth 
from  a  cleft  in  the  natural  arena,  hurled  itself  sheer 
from  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet,  but,  too  feeble 
for  so  formidable  a  leap,  volatilised  into  spray  before 
reaching    the    bottom.      And    the    sun    painted   the 


22  THE  DRAMA   OF  SAINT  HELENA 

vaporous  fringe    of   the   scarf   the   seven    colours  of 
the  rainbow. 

The  Emperor  liked  this  cool  neighbourhood.  In 
the  heat  of  the  day  he  used  to  come  and  listen  to 
the  torrent's  voice  under  an  arbour  furnished  with 
a  rustic  table  and  bench.  Sometimes  Betsy 
Balcombe,  the  younger  daughter  of  the  house,  a 
frolicsome  maiden  of  fourteen,  joined  him  there. 
He  accepted  her  company  and  tolerated  her  exces- 
sive licence.  "  I  never  met  with  any  one,"  she 
wrote  later,  "who  bore  childish  liberties  so  well 
as  Napoleon.  He  seemed  to  enter  into  every  sort 
of  mirth  or  fun  with  the  glee  of  a  child,  and  though 
I  have  often  tried  his  patience  severely,  I  never 
knew  him  lose  his  temper  or  fall  back  upon  his 
rank  or  a^e  to  shield  himself  from  the  conse- 
quences  of  his  own  familiarity,  or  of  his  indulgence 
to  me." 

If  Betsy  had  only  confined  herself  to  importunities! 
But  this  extremely  pretty,  fair-haired  little  girl,  with 
cat-like  eyes,  had  her  mischievous  moods.  When 
she  came  upon  the  Emperor  working  in  the  summer- 
house,  she  used  to  throw  confusion  among  his  papers, 
or  else,  snatching  them  up,  she  would  run  away, 
shouting  :  "I  shall  find  out  all  your  secrets."  She 
would  let  the  Newfoundland  dog,  Tompipes,  into 
the  orchard,  and  incite  him  to  dive  into  a  pond 
full  of  goldfish  ;  then  slyly  lead  him  to  Napoleon 
who  was  busy  writing.  The  drenched  creature 
shaking  himself,  suddenly  besprinkled  the  Emperor, 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  23 

and  the  guilty  minx  burst  out  laughing  when  she 
saw  the  damage  done  to  the  fine  green  coat,  the 
white  breeches,  the  silk  stockings  and  the  pumps 
with  gold  buckles  of  her  unfortunate  big  friend. 
Worse  still  !  One  day,  as  he  was  sealing  his  letters, 
she  pushed  his  elbow  and  caused  some  drops  of 
burning  wax  to  fall  on  his  fingers:  "It  was  very 
painful  and  raised  a  large  blister,"  she  relates 
candidly  ;  "  but  he  was  so  very  good-humoured 
about  it,  that  I  told  him  I  was  quite  sorry  for 
what   I  had  done." 

People  were  greatly  surprised,  in  1843,  when 
Betsy  Balcombe  published  her  Recollections,  to  find 
the  Emperor — according  to  general  notions,  always 
stern,  unapproachable,  prompt  to  fly  into  a  passion, 
— so  capable,  at  times,  of  gentleness,  condescension, 
and  patience.  Other  memoirs,  appearing  since,  in 
their  turn,  revealed  the  simplicity  of  manner  and 
all  the  tenderness  of  Napoleon  towards  his  son  : 
how,  ordering  the  King  of  Rome  to  be  brought 
to  his  study  at  the  Tuileries,  he  would  rock  him  in 
his  arms,  cover  him  with  kisses,  and  roll  on  the 
carpet  with  him  ;  how,  when  seated  at  his  writing- 
table,  he  would  hold  him  on  his  knees,  and — without 
ever  showing  the  slightest  ill-humour,  as  Baron  de 
Meneval  testifies — allow  him  to  displace  a  hundred 
times  on  his  maps  the  coloured  pins  by  means  of 
which  he  prepared  and  marked  his  masterly  com- 
binations. He  used  to  display  the  same  tolerance, 
the    same   good-nature,    as    a    historian    has   shown, 


24  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

with  nephews  and  nieces,  with  little  folks  who  were 
nothing  to  him,  so  fond  was  he  of  children. 

At  The  Briars,  Betsy,  in  spite  of,  and  perhaps  on 
account  of,  her  faults,  was  the  Emperor's  favourite  ; 
but  he  was  also  extremely  kind  to  her  elder  and 
less  wild  sister,  Jane,  and  to  her  younger  brothers, 
five  and  seven  years  old.  These  urchins  were 
permitted  to  play  with  his  orders  :  very  often  he 
cut  off  pieces  of  the  ribands  to  give  to  them.  He 
inflated  balloons  for  them,  and  once  he  contrived 
a  tiny  cart,  to  which,  to  their  great  joy,  an  unguid- 
able  team  of  rats  was  harnessed. 

"  It  always  brought  a  smile  to  Napoleon's  counten- 
ance whenever  he  gave  pleasure  to  the  young 
around  him." 

And  the  day  when,  not  without  regret  himself, 
the  Emperor  was  obliged  to  leave  The  Briars,  the 
entire  household  was  moved  to  tears. 

Beyond  that  place,  henceforth  celebrated,  the 
Longwood  road,  still  desolate,  still  suspended  at 
the  flank  of  the  arid,  yellowish  rock,  became  even 
steeper,  and  after  a  short  bend  and  abrupt  zigzags, 
reached  the  mountain-top.  There,  the  assistant- 
surgeon,  Henry,  and  the  troops  making  for  Dead- 
wood  camp  found  themselves,  at  a  height  of 
1 200  feet,  on  terraced  ground  from  which 
Jamestown  was  visible  a  last  time.  The  place,  in 
its  ravine,  now  produced  the  impression  of  a 
Lilliputian  street  at  the  bottom  of  a  cutting.  Its 
double    row    of    white     houses    just     retained     the 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  25 

importance  of  a  trail  of  pebbles  ;  the  square  belfry 
hardly  rose  to  the  level  of  an  ordinary  milestone. 
At  anchor,  near  the  shore,  a  man-of-war,  the 
Conqt-ieror,  which  possessed  a  crew  equal  to  a 
regiment,  three  decks  bearing  cannons,  and  seventy- 
four  port-holes  ready  to  belch  forth  grape-shot, 
assumed  the  harmless  appearance  of  a  toy  boat. 
Every  object  below  was  similarly  reduced.  The 
sea,  alone,  rather  gained  in  size.  Subject  to  the 
usual  optical  illusion,  its  steely  surface,  seen  from 
such  a  height,  rose  slanting  skyward — encroached 
upon,  completely  filled  the  horizon. 

A  disagreeable  surprise,  caused  by  a  sudden 
change  of  temperature,  spoiled  the  sight.  The 
traveller,  who  had  just  emerged  from  a  stifling  gully, 
was  here  exposed  to  the  south-easterly  trade-wind 
that  prevails  at  Saint  Helena,  and  now  began  to 
blow  in  cold  blasts.  He  was  chilled  and  penetrated 
by  it,  so  that  hardly  had  he  ceased  to  perspire 
when  he  found  himself  shivering  :  a  frequent  mishap 
on  an  island  of  such  unusually  bold  relief,  where  the 
atmosphere,  stagnant  at  the  bottom  of  the  valleys, 
is  only  too  disturbed  on  the  summits. 

In  spite  of  the  dampness  mingled  with  the 
cooler  air,  the  absence  of  verdure  continued.  On 
both  sides  of  the  road,  which  presently  resumed  its 
ascent  along  the  ridges,  the  scenery  remained  wild. 
Ferruginous  blocks  hurled  down  by  former  landslips, 
and  calcined  masses  belched  forth  by  erruptions 
gave  a  rusty  tint  and  an  aspect  of  death-like  fixity 


2  6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

to  the  dreary  landscape.  The  volcanic  origin  of 
Saint  Helena  asserted  itself.  The  hard  metallic 
earth  re-echoed  underfoot,  composed  as  it  was  of 
cast  iron,  dross,  and  lava. 

This  desolation  only  ended  at  the  approach  to 
Alarm- House,  a  semaphore  situated  at  an  altitude 
of  1900  feet,  whence  the  east  coast  became 
visible,  and  vessels  sighted  off  Longwood  were 
signalled  to  Jamestown  by  the  firing  of  a 
gun.  The  plutonic  soil  being  here  covered  by  a 
thin  vegetable  layer,  the  region  now  traversed  was, 
for  a  short  distance,  green  enough,  The  eye,  weary 
of  grey  impressions,  rested  agreeably  on  the  moors, 
bristling  with  cactus,  but  where  gorse  exhaled  its 
golden  sweetness  and  luxuriant  wild  geraniums  gave 
a  gay,  scarlet,  poppy-like  note  of  colour.  Shrubs 
grew  in  places  ;  pines  and  Australian  acacias, 
silvery,  like  willows,  were  grouped  in  dark  or  light 
clusters.  Some  slave  huts,  two  or  three  cottages 
could  be  seen  ;  and  a  few  fields  of  cereals  round 
about  them,  a  few  patches  of  meadow  land,  some 
goats  and  sheep,  with  here  and  there  a  cow, 
grazing  at  the  foot  of  a  slope,  achieved  an  almost 
pastoral  picture. 

Besides  forming  the  culminating  point  of  the 
road  from  Jamestown  to  Longwood,  Alarm- House 
occupied  a  nearly  central  position  in  the  island. 
Here  the  eye  took  in  at  a  glance,  as  on  a  map  in 
relief,  all  the  orographical  details  of  a  land  only 
twenty-eight  miles  in  circumference,  a  view  stretching 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  27 

over  the  entire  surface,  except  the  south,  where  the 
district  of  Sandy  Bay,  a  wide  extinct  crater,  was 
hidden  by  an  upheaval  greater  than  the  rest. 
On  that  side  Diana  Peak,  the  giant  of  Saint 
Helena,  rose  to  a  height  of  2700  feet.  Mountain 
ranges,  divided  by  narrow  ravines,  where  torrents 
of  seething  lava  had  formerly  flowed,  radiated  from 
it  in  all  directions  towards  the  coast.  At  present 
harmless  streams  followed  the  same  beds.  It 
was  one  of  these  water-courses  that  fell  in  a 
cascade  at  The  Briars  and,  afterwards  reaching 
Jamestown,  filled  the  tanks  where  the  ships  drew 
their  fresh  water. 

The  vast  panorama  remained  poor  in  vegetation. 
The  southern  group  was  covered  with  grass  and 
woods,  but  the  divergent  offshoots  of  bluish  basalt, 
of  dark  pozzolana  or  of  vitrified  stone  glittering  in 
the  sunlight,  were  completely  bare.  Their  long 
sharp  ridges  rarely  became  flat  and  widened.  In 
four  or  five  places,  however,  they  expanded  so  as 
to  form  plateaux.  The  most  considerable  of  these 
could  be  seen  at  a  short  distance  to  the  east  ;  on 
it  were  a  few  trees,  a  house,  and  some  barracks  and 
tents.  Napoleon  inhabited  the  house  ;  the  barracks 
and  tents  formed  the  military  camp,  to  which  the 
assistant-surgeon,  Henry,  and  his  companions,  were 
repairing. 

To  reach  this  spot,  they  had  now  only  to 
circumvent  an  abyss  called,  on  account  of  its  shape 
and  vast  dimensions,  The  Devil's  Punchbowl.     They 


28  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

skirted  it  for  more  than  two  miles,  in  giddy  proximity 
to  its  edge,  which  was  not  bordered  by  any  parapet. 
Its  sides  fell  almost  sheer,  and  the  very  plants 
suspended  thereto  by  the  roots,  sparse  gorse  bushes 
with  their  stems  hanging,  seemed  sorely  tempted 
by  the  yawning  gulf. 

About  half-way  round,  a  rocky  projection  leaving 
the  edge  obliquely  and  deviating  but  slightly  from 
it  enclosed  between  it  and  the  road  a  small  expanse 
of  the  cavity.  The  portion  of  the  chasm  thus 
separated  became,  thanks  to  a  refreshing  spring,  a 
grassy  vale,  covered  with  myrtle  and  briar,  over 
which  weeping-willows  spread  their  branches.  The 
rays  of  the  sun  were  attenuated  on  reaching  this 
solitary  hollow  ;  there  twilight  reigned — a  subdued 
green  light,  with  the  silence  of  eternal  peace.  That 
is  the  spot  where  the  Emperor  was  to  repose  later, 
and  to  which  twelve  grenadiers  of  the  detachment 
now  on  the  march  were  to  lower  his  coffin. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  battalion  defiled  before 
the  habitation  of  Longwood,  and  still  advancing  for 
another  ten  minutes,  at  last  reached  Deadwood. 

Six  barracks,  each  of  which  could  accommodate 
about  a  hundred  men,  housed  the  soldiers.  The 
officers  put  up  in  log  cabins  coated  with  plaster 
inside  and  furnished  with  a  bedstead,  a  chair,  and 
a  cupboard.  Numerous  tents  completed  the  camp  ; 
they  sheltered  Chinese  servants,  negroes,  horses, 
and  the  profusion  of  luggage  which  always  accom- 
panies   English  troops.     Henry,  as    his    share,  con- 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  29 

fesses  to  nineteen  or  twenty  valises,  trunks  or  chests. 
He  gives  an  amusing  account  of  the  dinner  that  day, 
at  the  mess  installed  under  a  shed  : 

"In  the  first  place  we  had  oily  soup  made  of 
the  fat  tails  of  Cape  sheep,  which  all  grow  to  tail, 
and  have  no  flesh  on  the  quarters  or  ribs.  Indeed, 
but  for  the  accident  of  the  head  attached  anteriorly, 
and  the  old  custom  of  head  and  body  in  immediate 
juxtaposition,  it  would  be  hard  to  say,  at  first  view 
of  the  quadruped,  which  was  the  body  or  which 
was  the  tail.  However,  waiving  this  point,  and 
to  go  on  with  the  bill  of  fare,  after  our  execrable 
soup  there  was  mackerel,  the  staple  of  the  island  : 
mackerel  at  the  bottom,  au  nafatrel,  at  one  side 
as  a  curry,  and  at  another  as  a  stew,  and  in  one 
or  two  other  places  in  other  shapes  and  duplicates. 
Next  we  had  Albacore  steaks,  tasting  like  tough 
pork  chops,  and  hempy  rations  of  beef,  stripped  off 
the  thin  clothed  ribs  of  Benguela  bullocks,  with 
some  other  abominations." 

The  disgusted  officers  of  the  66th  recollected  the 
menus  in  Bengal.  There,  the  table  groaned  under 
the  abundance  of  good  things  :  the  most  succulent 
of  meats  and  a  great  variety  of  vegetables  gave 
way  at  dessert  to  baskets  filled  with  grapes, 
pistachio-nuts,  figs  and  pomegranates.  On  one 
occasion,  when  Henry  had  made  a  bivouac  meal 
with  a  friend,  he  had  thrown  about  a  hundred 
snipe,  several  brace  of  partridges,  and  some  ortolans 
into  the  pot. 


30  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

The  assistant-surgeon  and  his  comrades  also 
regretted  the  comfortable,  the  almost  luxurious 
cantonments  of  India:  their  bungalows  surrounded 
by  verandahs  and  fitted  up  with  mats,  punkahs, 
and  blinds  made  of  vétiver.  And  when  their 
conversation  brought  them  back  to  the  palm  avenues 
of  Cawnpoor,  the  fields  of  roses  at  Ghazipoor,  or  the 
rich  vegetation  of  the  jungle,  the  soil  on  which  they  now 
were  camping  appeared  deplorably  bare  and  wretched. 

Except  for  some  russet  thistles,  there  was  nothing 
to  be  seen  but  turf  marked  with  leprous  spots  by 
marls  of  a  dirty  white  or  dark  red  colour.  The 
sparse  grass  grew  as  though  regretfully  ;  the  keen 
trade-wind  withered  it  by  its  perpetual  blast.  A 
funereal  flower,  the  everlasting,  with  a  fragile  stalk 
swaying  continually,  alone  seemed  to  thrive  in  this 
deadly  wind. 

A  barren  land  where  Nature  was  hostile  !  This 
stigma,  already  sufficiently  depressing  in  itself, 
was  aggravated  by  a  feeling  of  extreme  isolation 
equally  hard  to  bear.  Immense  expanses  of  ocean 
separate  Saint  Helena  from  the  rest  of  the  world, 
and  Deadwood  and  Longwood,  situated  at  one  of 
the  wild  extremities  on  a  steep  plateau,  further  pro- 
duced the  impression  of  being  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  island. 

But,  however  sad,  the  sight  was  not  devoid  of 
majesty.  Three  great  influences  in  the  neighbour- 
hood ennobled  it,  stirred  the  imagination,  overawed 
the  mind  :  the  mountains,  the  sea,  Napoleon. 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  31 

Two  mountains,  both  completely  bare,  rose 
abruptly  side  by  side  in  the  north,  a  few  steps  behind 
the  camp  :  Flagstaff  Hill,  a  slim  peak  ;  and  the  Barn, 
which  owed  its  name  to  a  peculiar  conformation 
resembling  that  of  a  long  rectangular  building  seen 
in  profile.  At  the  summit  of  Flagstaff  Hill, 
2300  feet  high,  but  generally  enveloped  in  mist, 
was  a  ruined  watch-tower.  The  Barn,  although 
not  quite  as  lofty,  impressed  one  by  its  massive 
shape,  its  sombre,  solemn  and  desolate  aspect.  The 
approach  to  it  was  defended  by  a  precipice,  and 
its  basaltic  flanks,  sloping  rapidly  like  the  pitch 
of  a  roof,  scarred  by  crevices  in  which  fugitive 
negroes  had  come  by  their  death,  were  said  to  be 
almost  inaccessible. 

The  sea  stretched  to  the  east.  The  plateau  over- 
looked it  from  such  a  height  that,  on  clear  days,  ships 
could  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  sixty  miles.  Like  tiny 
white  specks,  those  bound  for  the  island  did  not  for 
hours  appear  to  get  nearer,  to  leave  the  horizon,  to 
grow  bigger. 

Napoleon  lived  opposite  the  camp,  but  half  a  mile 
to  the  south  of  it,  on  slightly  rising  ground  well  in 
view,  in  a  mean-looking  house  of  which  the  interior 
was  as  unworthy  of  him  as  the  exterior. 

It  consisted  of  two  principal  buildings,  two 
ground-floors  crossed  like  the  branches  of  a  recum- 
bent  T. 

On  the  side  nearest  to  Deadwood,  at  the  foot  of 
the  T,  a  fairly  wide  trellised  porch,  with  a  triangular 


32  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

pediment,  and  three  steps  at  the  bottom,  formed 
a  kind  of  verandah,  and  led  to  the  antechamber, 
a  clumsy  wooden  construction.  A  drawing-room 
followed,  badly  lighted  from  the  west,  and  a  dining- 
room  which  only  obtained  light  through  a  glass  door. 

This  last  room  was  situated  in  the  centre  of  the 
cross-bar  of  the  T,  between  a  library  at  the  left  end, 
and  two  little  rooms  at  the  right. 

The  whole  made  a  low,  dark  suite  of  apartments, 
upholstered  with  horrible  wall-papers  or  stuffs,  and 
badly  furnished  at  second  hand — the  Emperor's  suite. 

The  house  had  formerly  been  a  farm,  and  the 
wood  flooring  covered  a  soil  still  impregnated  with 
the  manure  of  the  stables  ;  rats  swarmed  beneath  the 
half-rotten  boards.  Constructed  for  cattle,  the  walls 
made  of  loam,  and  the  roof  of  tarred  pasteboard 
alternating  with  inferior  tiles,  afforded  a  poor  protec- 
tion against  the  climate. 

Saint  Helena,  in  such  close  proximity  to  the 
Equator,  should  possess  a  temperature  of  even  heat, 
and  an  atmosphere  constantly  dry  and  clear.  But  the 
solitary  island,  rising  like  a  lofty  mountain  in  the 
middle  of  the  Southern  Atlantic,  retains  and  condenses 
about  it  all  the  vapour  drifted  thither  by  the  trades. 
For  this  reason,  some  of  its  elevated  regions  are 
frequently  overcast  and  chilly.  Such  especially  is 
the  plateau  of  Longwood.  Situated  at  a  height  of 
1700  feet  and  falling  away  sheer  towards  the  sea  or 
deep  ravines,  it  must  be  pictured  as  a  kind  of  sus- 
pended plain,  sometimes  lost  in  the  clouds,  and  too 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  33 

often  enveloped  in  unhealthy  mists  quickly  dissolved 
into  water. 

It  rains  there  every  other  day,  and  the  rainfall  is 
three  times  that  of  Jamestown  and  equal  to  that  of 
Ireland.  Only  between  the  showers,  and  when,  as 
seldom  happens,  the  air  is  still,  can  the  heat  become 
excessive  ;  the  mean  temperature  does  not  rise 
above  6o°  Fahrenheit.  Although  in  the  tropics, 
Napoleon  lived  there  under  a  gloomy  sky,  little 
favoured  by  the  sun,  a  prey  to  damp  and  wind. 

Big  stains  of  saltpetre  soiled  the  walls  of  his 
bedroom.  His  library,  which  faced  east,  was  exposed 
to  the  spray  and  the  trades,  and  gave  out  a  mouldy 
stench.  The  heavy  showers  frequently  penetrated 
the  dilapidated  roof  and  flooded  the  garrets  above  his 
apartments,  where  his  valet  Marchand  and  other 
servants  slept. 

Behind  the  two  T-shaped  buildings  rose  other 
constructions  yet  ruder  and  even  more  neglected  : 
among  others,  a  kitchen,  a  pantry,  and  some  closets 
inhabitated  by  Baron  Gourgaud  and  the  Montholon 
family. 

A  little  separate  pavilion,  in  front  of  the  main 
group  and  close  to  it,  sheltered  Count  Bertrand,  his 
wife  and  children. 

Such  was  Longwood  House,  where  England 
harboured  a  former  sovereign.  It  is  true  that  she 
disputed  his  claim  to  the  title.  But  the  British 
Government  assured  the  whole  of  Europe  that 
General  Bonaparte,  as  they  now  affected  to  call  him, 
3 


34  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

had  an  extremely  comfortable  residence.  Some 
London  journalists  improved  upon  this  by  adding 
that  "he  possessed  a  magnificent  park." 

The  park  consisted  of  two  or  three  rows  of  pines 
and  about  a  hundred  scattered  gum-trees.  Nothing 
could  be  more  depressing  than  the  gum-trees,  with 
their  slender  trunks  eaten  away  by  lichen  and  their 
dead-looking  branches  bare,  except  for  a  few  curled- 
up  leaves  at  their  extremities.  The  trade-wind 
tormented,  bent,  and  distorted  these  wretched 
specimens  of  vegetation.  Slanting,  as  though  in  full 
flight,  towards  the  north-west,  they  looked,  at  a 
distance,  with  their  dishevelled  crests,  their  boughs 
almost  denuded,  their  strips  of  bluish-green  foliage, 
like  some  grotesque  assembly  of  old  parasols  planted 
in  the  ground,  turned  inside  out  and  torn  to  tatters 
by  a  gust  of  wind. 

Around  this  make-believe  copse  and  the  habitation, 
stood  a  low  wall,  about  four  miles  in  circumference, 
known  as  the  four  miles  limit.  Sentinels  stationed 
at  intervals  of  fifty  paces  mounted  guard  outside  and 
only  penetrated  into  the  interior,  reserved  for  the 
Emperor,  at  night. 

This  enclosure  shut  in  a  third  of  the  plateau.  An 
imaginary  line,  called  the  twelve  miles  limit,  entirely 
surrounded  it,  together  with  a  neighbouring  valley, 
but  with  the  exception  of  a  part  near  the  sea.  Within 
this  second  boundary  Napoleon  was  allowed  to  walk 
freely,  but  beyond  it  he  was  obliged  to  submit  to  the 
company  of  an  English  officer. 


THE  ISLAND  OF  EXILE  35 

All  his  movements  were  watched.  A  telegraph 
station  close  to  Deadwood  camp  was  to  signal  them 
by  various  combinations  of  flags,  which  were  to  be 
repeated  on  the  numerous  summits  of  Saint  Helena. 

The  five  principal  combinations  had  the  following 
significations  : — 

General  Bonaparte  is  at  Longwood  House. 

General  Bonaparte  has  just  crossed  the  four  miles 
limit. 

General  Bonaparte  has  just  crossed  the  twelve 
miles  limit  with  an  escort. 

General  Bonaparte  has  just  crossed  the  twelve 
miles  limit  without  an  escort. 

General  Bonaparte  has  disappeared. 

A  blue  flag  was  destined  for  this  last  grave  eventu- 
ality. Immediately  on  its  appearance,  the  troops 
scattered  throughout  the  island  would  have  sent 
patrols  in  every  direction  ;  two  brigs,  perpetually 
cruising  along  the  coast,  were  to  stop  every  boat  at 
sea,  and  the  man-of-war  stationed  at  Jamestown,  as 
well  as  a  frigate  moored  in  a  neighbouring  roadstead, 
was  to  weigh  anchor  and  prepare  for  pursuit. 

But  Napoleon  very  likely  did  not  think  of  escape, 
for  every  day  the  telegraph  of  Deadwood  invariably 
sent  this  sole  message  :  "  General  Bonaparte  is  at 
Longwood  House."  The  Emperor  never  left  the 
guarded  enclosure  and  appeared  to  remain  in  con- 
finement. 

In  vain  did  the  officers  of  the  66th  persist  in 
pointing  their  spy-glasses,  from  their   camp,    in    the 


36  THE  DRAMA   OF  SAINT  HELENA 

direction  of  his  residence.  At  the  end  of  a  month 
they  knew  its  every  detail,  from  the  cracks  in  the 
walls  to  the  broken  tiles  on  the  roof,  but  none  could 
boast  of  having  caught  sight  of  the  legendary 
silhouette  in  the  grey  overcoat,  with  hands  crossed 
behind  the  back,  and  hat  worn  in  martial  style. 

Their  curiosity  became  exasperated  ;  they  talked 
of  nothing  but  the  great  captive  at  mess,  and  wasted 
their  time  in  making  wild  o-uesses  as  to  his  mode  of 
life.  Some  suggested  that  he  spent  whole  days  in 
bed  ;  no,  others  replied,  he  rises  early  and  is  busy 
dictating  his  memoirs.  At  times  they  imagined  he 
was  always  playing  billiards,  cards,  chess,  or  read- 
ing novels  ;  the  next  day  they  declared  with  a  smile 
that  he  never  left  the  Countesses  Bertrand  and  de 
Montholon  for  a  moment.  The  majority  maintained 
that  his  health  was  excellent  and  that  he  ate  greedily  ; 
a  few  gainsayers  protested  that  he  was  losing  his 
appetite,  was  becoming  weaker,  and  dying  of  tedium 
and  melancholy. 

Henry  laughed  at  the  latter,  whom  he  ironically 
describes  as  ''some  wiseacres,  who  shook  their 
heads." 

But  perhaps  it  was  these  very  people  who  were 
in  the  right. 


SIR    HUDSON    LOWE. 


From  a  Pencil  Drawing.} 


CHAPTER    IL 
THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE. 

CONTRADICTORY  as  were  the  accounts  re- 
lating to  the  invisible  guest  of  Longwood, 
they  nevertheless  agreed  in  one  particular  :  his  pro- 
found antipathy  for  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  the  Governor 
of  Saint  Helena. 

Henry  and  his  comrades  only  learned  in  an  im- 
perfect and  doubtless  incorrect  manner  the  reasons 
for  this  antipathy.  They  are  well-known  at  the 
present  day  :  a  score  of  memoirs  relate  them  with 
similar  details. 

Napoleon  had  arrived  in  the  island  in  the  custody 
of  Admiral  Cockburn,  a  boorish  individual  who 
showed  little  deference  to  him.  Hudson  Lowe,  who 
came  somewhat  later,  in  April,  1816,  gave  the  Emperor 
cause  for  reorettino-  Cockburn. 

Hardly  had  he  assumed  office,  when  he  set  about 
depriving  Napoleon  of  his  companions  in  exile,  on 
the  pretext  of  reducing  his  establishment. 

Twenty-three  Frenchmen  lived  at  that  period  at 
Longwood — 

Count  and  Countess  Bertrand,  and  their  three 
children. 


38  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Count  and  Countess  de  Montholon,  and  one  child. 

Count  de  Las  Cases  and  his  son  Emmanuel,  fifteen 
years  old. 

Baron  Gourgaud. 

The  first  valet,  Marchand. 

Saint-Denis,  second  valet. 

Santini,  usher. 

The  two  brothers  Archambault,  grooms. 

Cipriani,  maître  d'hôtel. 

Pierron,  butler. 

Lepage,  cook. 

Rousseau,  steward. 

A  girl  called  Josephine  and  the  married  couple 
Bernard,  respectively  in  the  private  service  of 
Madame  de  Montholon  and  the  Bertrand  family. 

A  Pole,  Captain  Piontkowski  ;  an  Elbian,  Gentilini, 
footman  ;  a  Swiss,  the  third  valet,  Noverraz,  and  his 
wife,  who  was  seamstress,  were  also  attached  to  the 
household  of  Longwood. 

Hudson  Lowe's  first  act  was  an  odious  attempt 
to  provoke  defections  in  this  united  little  band 
surrounding  Napoleon. 

The  Emperor's  companions  had  only  been  auth- 
orised to  follow  him  in  captivity  on  the  understanding 
that  they  were  to  share  his  lot,  to  regard  themselves 
also  as  exiles  who  were  not  to  see  Europe  again  for 
many  years,  if  ever.  But  on  the  very  morrow  of  his 
arrival  at  Jamestown,  Hudson  Lowe  informed  them 
that  nothing  compelled  them  to  remain  with  General 
Bonaparte,  and  offered  to  ship  home  at  the  expense 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  39 

of    the     British    Government    any    one    who    might 
desire  it. 

He  already  anticipated  the  possible  tedium  and 
despondency  ensuing  after  six  months'  exile,  but  met 
with  a  disappointment,  for  nobody  availed  himself 
of  the  exeat. 

He  then  changed  his  tactics,  and,  after  having 
tried  kindness,  had  recourse  to  severity. 

He  had  just  said  to  the  Frenchmen  :  "  You  are 
free."  He  now  corrected  himself  by  saying:  "You 
are  prisoners."  And  he  bade  them  repeat  the  declara- 
tion exacted  from  them  on  leaving  England — a  fresh 
admission,  in  writing  this  time,  of  subjection  to  the 
same  restrictions  as  Napoleon,  and,  should  the  occasion 
arise,  to  the  same  increased  rigour. 

All,  resigning  themselves  to  subscribing  their 
names  at  the  bottom  of  a  document  styling  the 
Emperor  General,  submitted  to  an  obviously  super- 
fluous formality. 

It  then  occurred  to  the  Governor  to  make  an 
offensive  inquiry.  Summoning  all  the  servants  of 
Longwood  before  him,  he  asked  them  whether  they 
fully  realised  the  import  of  the  act  they  had  signed, 
and  whether,  in  signing  it,  they  had  not,  in  some 
measure,  allowed  themselves  to  be  influenced. 
"  What  a  base  thing,"  the  Emperor  remarked,  "  thus 
to  interfere  between  a  man  and  his  valet  !  " 

Resolved  not  to  be  thwarted,  Hudson  Lowe  finally 
declared  that  Napoleon's  too  numerous  household 
was   a   cause    of  undue  expense  on  the  part  of  his 


40  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Government,  and  dismissed  from  the  island  Piont- 
kowski,  Santini,  Rousseau,  and  one  of  the  brothers 
Archambault  on  grounds  of  economy. 

The  removal  of  Captain  Piontkowski  mattered 
little.  This  foreigner,  who  had  come  to  Saint 
Helena  one  fine  day  no  one  knew  how,  alone  and 
uninvited,  was  perhaps  sincere  in  his  protestations 
of  devotion,  perhaps  a  mere  adventurer,  and  only 
half  inspired  the  Emperor  with  confidence. 

But  Napoleon  keenly  felt  the  loss  of  Santini, 
Rousseau,  and  the  younger  Archambault,  three  of 
his  most  useful  servants. 

The  usher,  Santini,  a  kind  of  Jack-of-all-trades, 
repaired  his  coats  and  cut  his  hair.  Being  a  good 
marksman,  he  also  stocked  the  larder  with  partridges 
and  turtle-doves  shot  on  the  plateau. 

Rousseau,  steward  and  lamplighter,  excelled  be- 
sides in  odd  jobs  as  carpenter  and  locksmith  ;  the 
dilapidated  buildings  of  Longwood  provided  him  with 
plenty  of  work. 

As  for  the  brothers  Archambault,  there  was  ample 
occupation  for  the  two  grooms  in  the  stables,  where 
they  looked  after  a  dozen  horses  and  supervised  the 
ostlers. 

Before  the  quadruple  departure  decreed  by  Hudson 
Lowe,  these  ostlers,  who  were  English,  a  few  other 
servants,  also  English,  and  some  Chinese  helps, 
chiefly  employed  in  the  kitchens,  brought  the  number 
of  persons  engaged  or  residing  at  Longwood  up  to 
about  fifty. 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  41 

To  keep  up  this  numerous  household,  Napoleon 
was  allotted  an  annual  pension  of  ^8000.  This  sum 
may,  at  a  first  glance,  appear  reasonable,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  would  have  been  so,  but  for  the 
peculiar  conditions  of  life  in  the  island.  Butcher's 
meat  was  two  or  three  times  as  expensive  as  in 
Europe  ;  a  chicken  cost  5s.,  a  duck  about  10s.,  a 
turkey  from  £1,  10s.  to  £3,  an  egg  between  5c!. 
and  6d.,  and  good  bread  as  much  as  iod.  the  lb. 
With  regard  to  manufactured  articles  of  current  use, 
the  prices  were  no  less  exorbitant  than  those  con- 
cerning provisions.  Pierron,  the  butler  at  Long- 
wood,  has  left  an  account-book  which  has  been 
published,  and  in  which  figures  an  entry  of  £1,  js.  6d. 
for  a  dozen  ordinary  glasses  supplied  to  the  Emperor, 
and  one  of  £2,  6s.  for  six  tin  saucepans.  The  courts 
of  France,  of  Austria  and  of  Russia  had  sent  com- 
missioners to  Saint  Helena,  in  order  that  they  might 
be  constantly  informed  as  to  what  was  taking  place 
there.  A  Jamestown  tradesman  charged  the  repre- 
sentative of  Louis  xviii.  £65  for  a  dozen  straw- 
bottomed  chairs,  and  £45  for  a  common  dining-room 
table.  The  Marquis  de  Montchenu  was  to  have 
received  the  sum  of  £2000  a  year  from  his  Govern- 
ment ;  he  immediately  claimed  an  increase  of  income. 
His  colleagues,  Count  Balmain  and  Baron  Sturmer, 
hastened  to  follow  his  example. 

The  English  Ministers,  displaying  greater  gener- 
osity towards  the  Governor  than  towards  the 
Emperor,   allowed    Hudson    Lowe   ,£12,000   a   year. 


42  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

He  had  also  the  benefit  of  additional  advantages 
that  almost  doubled  his  emoluments.  In  the  first 
place,  he  had  no  companions  in  exile  to  feed,  but 
orderly  officers  and  soldiers  about  him  whose  services 
he  did  not  remunerate.  Secondly,  he  inhabited 
Plantation  House,  an  extremely  beautiful  residence  ; 
he  possessed  a  flower  garden,  a  kitchen  garden  and 
orchards  kept  up  by  sixty  slaves,  and  even  meadows 
where  cows  grazed  and  fodder  for  his  horses  was 
obtained. 

Hudson  Lowe,  well  satisfied  himself,  deemed  that 
Napoleon,  in  spite  of  an  allowance  considerably 
inferior  to  his  own  and  a  house  in  ruins  built  on 
a  wretched  site,  could  be  equally  content.  Yet,  to 
consider  only  the  financial  question,  the  ^8000 
granted  the  Emperor  barely  represented,  at  the 
cost  of  living  at  Saint  Helena,  an  annual  pension 
of  ^2000  in  Europe.  The  sum  was  undeniably 
insufficient,  and  the  accounts  of  Longwood,  audited 
once  a  month,  showed  inevitable  excesses  on  the 
debit  side. 

Hudson  Lowe  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  this 
state  of  affairs. 

He  pestered  Napoleon  with  letters  and  requests 
for  an  interview,  in  order  to  prove  to  him  that  waste 
reigned  in  his  house.  He  examined  the  tradesmen's 
bills,  found  fault  with  the  quantity  of  bread,  the 
weight  of  the  meat,  and  the  number  of  bottles  of  wine 
consumed  by  the  Frenchmen,  and  wrangled  about 
the    coffee,    the    sugar,    and    the    candles.     On    the 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  43 

departure  of  Piontkowski,  Santini,  Rousseau,  and 
the  younger  Archambault,  he  effected  a  few  primary 
reductions,  after  which  he  gave  warning  that  his 
Government  would  no  longer  pay  anything  beyond 
the  ^8000.  If  this  sum  did  not  satisfy  General 
Bonaparte's  requirements,  surely  he  had  relatives, 
and  bankers  also  no  doubt,  in  Europe  !  Why  should 
he  not  apply  to  them  ? 

Napoleon  replied  that,  "since  the  English  auth- 
orities ignominiously  grudged  him  his  very  sub- 
sistence," he  would  readily  assume  the  burden  of  a 
part,  or  even  the  whole,  of  the  expenses  at  Longwood. 

But  all  letters  sent  by  him  or  addressed  to  him 
had  to  remain  open  ;  he  demanded  the  right  of 
corresponding  with  his  family  and  trustees  under 
cover  of  sealed  envelopes. 

Hudson  Lowe  refused  his  consent. 

By  way  of  protest  against  such  sordid  proceedings, 
and  to  make  them  widely  known,  the  Emperor  there- 
upon bade  Count  de  Montholon  break  up  the  plate 
of  a  magnificent  dinner-service  and  sell  it.  The 
affair  created  a  sensation  at  Saint  Helena,  and  the 
Governor  realised  that  elsewhere  also  it  would  attract 
attention  and  cause  astonishment.  Becoming  anxious, 
he  abandoned  his  scandalous  remonstrances,  continued 
to  order  the  payment  of  the  monthly  excesses,  and 
finally,  by  an  act  of  amazing  generosity,  raised 
Napoleon's  allowance  to  the  level  of  his  own. 

An  attempt  to  reduce  the  few  comforts  and 
the   little  society   of  an   exile   would  have    appeared 


44  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

sufficient  to  other  people  :  Hudson  Lowe  also  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  diminishing  still  more  the  restricted 
liberty  of  the  Emperor's  movements. 

The  reader  has  seen  what  the  limits  were.  The 
four  miles  enclosure  belonged  to  Napoleon  during 
the  day.  In  the  evening  the  sentries  of  the  exterior 
penetrated  into  it,  approached  Longwood  House  and 
shut  it  in  for  the  night  by  a  circle  of  bayonets.  The 
manoeuvre  took  place  at  seven  o'clock,  in  Admiral 
Cockburn's  time.  Hudson  Lowe  sequestered  his 
prisoner  as  early  as  six  o'clock.  He  likewise  reduced 
by  a  third  the  space  of  twelve  miles  in  circumference 
within  which  the  Emperor  could  move  without 
guards.  He  cut  off  the  only  agreeable  spot,  the 
miniature  valley  that  formed  part  of  it  with  the 
plateau  and  sheltered  in  its  hollows  a  little  verdure, 
a  few  shady  trees  and  some  houses. 

Under  Cockburn,  an  invitation  to  dinner  from 
Napoleon,  a  letter  of  audience  signed  by  Count 
Bertrand  oave  rio-ht  of  access  from  outside  to  Longf- 
wood  ;  the  officer  on  duty  at  the  barrier  situated  on 
the  Jamestown  side  admitted  their  validity  as  passes. 
This  common  politeness,  Hudson  Lowe  forbade. 

Whilst  he  was  inauo-uratino-  such  new  recula- 
tions,  he  had  several  interviews  with  the  Emperor, 
in  which  he  discussed  and,  if  he  is  to  be  believed, 
tried  to  justify  them.  One  day  Napoleon  lost 
patience  and  gave  full  vent  to  his  indignation. 
It  was  the  18th  of  August,  1816.  Admiral 
Malcolm,   who  was  in  command  of  the  naval  forces 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  45 

stationed  at  Saint  Helena,  accompanied  the  Governor. 
Napoleon  said  to  Hudson  Lowe  in  his  presence  : 
"  Since  your  arrival  here,  sir,  your  only  thought  is 
to  annoy  us.  Sir  George  Cockburn  had  the  same 
instructions  as  you,  but  he  did  not  display  a  tenth 
part  of  your  rigour  in  their  execution.  He  spared 
us  all  bickerings,  and,  if  at  times  his  dealings  offended 
me,  he  always  listened  to  reason  when  I  spoke  to  him. 
With  you,  all  conversation  is  useless  ;  you  are  un- 
tractable.  You  suspect  everything  and  every  one. 
You,  a  lieutenant-general,  understand  your  duty  in 
the  narrow  fashion  in  which  a  sentinel  understands 
his  orders.  You  spend  your  days  contriving  mean 
vexations  ;  you  treat  us  like  Botany  Bay  convicts." 

The  interview  took  place  in  the  open  air,  for 
Napoleon  would  not  receive  Hudson  Lowe  in  his 
house.  The  Emperor  walked  between  the  two 
Englishmen.  He  paused  a  moment,  turned  towards 
Admiral  Malcolm,  and,  no  longer  addressing  the 
Governor,  but  designating  him  from  time  to  time 
by  a  contemptuous  gesture,   he  resumed — 

"  Governments  employ  certain  servants  for 
honourable,  other  servants  for  dishonourable 
business.     He  is  one  of  the  latter. 

"  Count  Bertrand  has  commanded  armies  ;  all 
military  men  know  and  esteem  him.  He  has  no 
more  consideration  for  him  than  for  a  corporal. 

"  Madame  Bertrand  is  a  woman  of  good  birth  ; 
she  was  a  leader  of  French  society.  He  prevents 
her  from  receiving  visits,  intercepts  her  invitations. 


46  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  I  had  asked  my  aged  mother  to  cease  writing 
me,  since  my  correspondence  was  read.  She  wished 
to  express  her  desire  to  come  here  and  die  with  me 
at  Saint  Helena.  He  has  divulged  the  letter  ;  the 
whole  island  knows  its  contents. 

"Would  you  believe  it!  he  was  mean  enough  to 
keep  back  from  me  a  book,  because  on  its  cover  I 
was  styled  Emperor." 

Napoleon  stopped  walking  on  reaching  this 
grievance,  and,  throwing  back  his  head  and  fixing 
Hudson  Lowe  with  flashing  eye,  he  concluded  : 

"  I  am  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  sir,  the  Em-per-or 
Napoleon,  do  you  hear?  To  call  me  by  any  other 
name  is  an  insult  and  folly.  .  .  .  When  England  has 
ceased  to  exist,  people  will  still  call  me  the  Emperor 
Napoleon  !  " 

The  Governor  has  been  praised  for  having 
succeeded  in  retaining  his  composure  in  the  midst 
of  this  outburst.  With  almost  impassive  face,  he 
bore  even  the  extreme  outrage  of  an  indirect  address. 
But  is  the  fact  to  his  credit  ?  Doubtless  he  did  not 
consider  himself  at  fault,  failed  to  realise  the  baseness 
of  certain  proceedings.  Nor  did  lie  see  the  blame 
and  contempt  f-ill  upon  his  head  from  a  height  that 
we  are  able  to  appreciate.  The  king  of  kings  of 
yesterday,  he  who  nowadays  is  placed  on  the  same 
lofty  level  as  Alexander  and  Charles  the  Great,  cried 
in  vain  to  him:  "I  am  the  Emperor  Napoleon!" 
Hudson  Lowe  did  not  understand.  Indifferent  to 
past  grandeur,   incapable   of  foreseeing  history,  pre- 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  47 

occupied  only  by  the  present,  he  overlooked  the 
Emperor  and  merely  saw  General  Bonaparte,  a 
prisoner  under  his  surveillance. 

From  that  day  the  glorious  captive  refused  to 
grant  any  further  interviews  with  the  man.  "  I 
abused  him  roundly,"  he  said;  "my  position  is  my 
sole  excuse.  At  the  Tuileries  I  should  blush  for 
such  a  scene " 

Hudson  Lowe's  vindicators  observe,  with  reeard 
to  his  acts  at  the  outset  of  his  office,  that  they  were 
for  the  most  part  in  accordance  with  instructions 
emanating  from  the  Cabinet  in  London.  That  is 
true.  It  was  the  English  Ministers  who  decided  to 
reduce  the  expenditure  of  Longwood,  and  who 
thought  of  asking  Napoleon  to  contribute  to  it  from 
his  personal  funds. — In  parenthesis,  is  there,  in  the 
history  of  modern  governments,  another  example  of 
this  generous  idea  :  to  oblige  a  monarch  deprived  of 
his  crown  and  kept  a  prisoner  to  share  the  expenses 
of  his  imprisonment? — Again,  it  was  Lord  Bathurst, 
the  Colonial  Secretary,  under  whose  jurisdiction 
Saint  Helena  was  placed,  who  prescribed  the  utmost 
diminution  of  the  exile's  company.  But  if,  on  the 
two  occasions  in  question,  Hudson  Lowe  received 
orders,  he  aggravated  them  in  the  first  instance  by 
undertaking  an  investigation  among  servants  that 
was  offensive  to  their  master,  and  in  the  second  place 
by  demanding  from  the  Emperor  the  very  accounts 
and  details  of  his  household, 

Further  :    the   Governor's    instructions  compelled 


48  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

him  to  call  Napoleon  General  Bonaparte,  and  to 
regard  him  as  such.  Even  without  these  instruc- 
tions, Hudson  Lowe,  with  his  niggardly  spirit,  would 
have  experienced  great  difficulty  in  seeing  a 
sovereign  in  the  former  master  of  Europe.  He 
somewhere  congratulates  himself  that  he  never  felt 
the  slightest  embarrassment  in  addressing  Napoleon 
as  "  Monsieur,"  whereas  he  never  alluded  to  the 
Prince  Royal  of  Sweden,  to  whom  he  happened  to 
have  been  presented,  but  in  terms  of  extreme  respect 
and  admiration.  No  wonder  :  Bernadotte  stood  on 
the  steps  of  a  throne,  thanks  to  Napoleon,  and 
Napoleon  now  ...   ! 

Napoleon  fallen,  the  high  official  of  Plantation 
House  was  persuaded  that  he  greatly  honoured  him  by 
placing  him  on  a  social  footing  more  or  less  equal 
to  his  own.  In  May,  1816,  the  Countess  of  Loudon 
and  Moira,  the  wife  of  the  Governor  of  India,  paid 
a  visit  to  Saint  Helena.  Hudson  Lowe,  anxious  to 
show  his  prisoner  to  this  distinguished  visitor,  had 
written  to  the  Emperor  :  "  Should  the  arrangements 
of  General  Bonaparte  admit  it,  Sir  Hudson  Lowe 
and  Lady  Lowe  would  feel  gratified  in  the  honour 
of  his  company  to  meet  the  Countess  at  dinner  on 
Monday  next  at  six  o'clock.  ..."  Napoleon  made 
no  reply,  and  Hudson  Lowe,  surprised  at  his  silence, 
questioned  Count  Bertrand  on  the  subject  :  "  Planta- 
tion House  is  outside  our  limits,"  the  latter  began  to 
explain  ;  "  the  Emperor,  had  he  accepted  your 
invitation,  would  have  been  obliged  to  go  under  the 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  49 

supervision  of  an  officer.  .  .  ."  "  Is  that  all  ?  "  quickly 
interrupted  the  Governor.  "  Bttt  I  should  have 
escorted  him  myself." 

Dreadful  words  that  show  all  the  unconscious 
baseness  of  the  man  and  his  lack  of  repugnance  for 
any  business,  however  odious.  If  England  had  placed 
Napoleon  in  a  dungeon,  Hudson  Lowe  would  will- 
ingly have  undertaken  the  task  of  sounding  the 
walls,  inspecting  the  locks  and  drawing  the  bolts. 

He  was  a  born  gaoler,  both  mentally  and 
physically. 

His  best  friends  admit  that  his  face  was  not  only 
disagreeable,  but  repulsive.  A  mouth  with  thin  lips 
closely  shut,  indicated  ill-nature  ;  a  forehead  narrow 
at  the  temples,  stupidity.  Little,  hollow-set  eyes 
glistened  under  bushy  red  eyebrows,  but  only  fixed 
one  stealthily.  "  Hyena's  eyes,"  Napoleon  called 
them. 

The  faded  yellow  of  his  hair  looked  dirty.  Large 
freckles  alternated  on  his  bony  cheeks  with  the 
purulent  blotches  of  an  incurable  skin  disease.  This 
again  made  the  Emperor  say,  "  The  doctors  must 
soak  him  with  sulphur  and  mercury." 

He  was  of  medium  height,  had  a  thin  body,  and 
a  long,  scraggy  neck.  Although  he  affected  a  com- 
bination of  Prussian  stiffness  and  British  coldness,  a 
nervous  twisting  of  the  body  when  he  was  talking, 
a  false  smile  and  shifting  gaze  betrayed  the  anxiety 
common  to  gaolers. 

"  He  suspected  every  one  and  everything."  He 
4 


5o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

always  thought  that  plots  were  being  hatched,  either 
to  rescue  his  prisoner,  or  to  discredit  his  acts  in 
high  quarters  and  bring  about  his  disgrace.  And 
in  his  terrified  imagination,  not  only  did  he  include 
among  the  conspirators  the  exiled  Frenchmen,  but 
also  the  envoys  of  the  Czar,  of  Francis  n.,  of  Louis 
xviii.,  and  even  his  own  compatriots  :  inhabitants  of 
the  island  and  officers. 

Yet,  in  the  first  place,  should  he  not  have  con- 
sidered the  escape  of  Napoleon  impossible  ? 

The  Emperor  inhabits  a  plateau,  sheer  on  every 
side,  that  only  communicates  with  the  rest  of  Saint 
Helena  by  an  isthmus  twenty  feet  wide  or  by 
ravines,  and  with  the  sea  only  by  dizzy  footpaths. 
A  guard-house  bars  the  isthmus  ;  patrols  cut  off  access 
to  the  ravines  ;  and  sentinels  intercept  the  paths. 
On  the  plateau  itself,  a  camp  keeps  watch  over 
Longwood  House.  A  hundred  men  are  placed 
along  the  four  miles  enclosure  during  the  day.  At 
night  the  circle  of  bayonets  contracts,  closes  in 
around  Napoleon  ;  between  them  are  intervals  of 
but  a  few  yards  for  flight. 

The  coast  where  the  Emperor  would  be  obliged 
to  embark  is  equally  well  guarded.  A  sentry-box 
and  a  red-coat  are  to  be  seen  at  the  edge  of  every 
creek.  Armed  cutters  follow  each  other  in  an  end- 
less round  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  and  allow  no 
skiff  to  approach.  Farther  off,  two  brigs,  fast 
sailers,  continually  circumvent  the  island,  bent  on 
discovering  and  giving  chase  to  suspicious  vessels. 


THE  GOVERNOR.  HUDSON  LOWE  51 

Had  Napoleon  succeeded  in  putting  out  to  sea, 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  nearest  point  of 
the  African  coast  is  11 40  miles  away,  the  coast 
of  America  1808  miles.  Could  he  possibly  have 
covered    either    of    these     distances    without    beingr 

o 

overtaken  ?  And  to  what  purpose  ?  To  live  in 
Mozambique,  among  the  negroes,  or  in  Brazil, 
where  a  prince  of  the  House  of  Braganza  was 
reigning  ?  Again,  would  he  have  crossed  the 
Atlantic  obliquely,  and  thus  doubled,  tripled  the 
difficult  voyage,  in  order  to  land  in  La  Plata,  or 
the  United  States  ?  In  La  Plata,  a  second-rate 
power  only  just  born  to  independence,  the  sovereigns 
of  Europe  would  have  pursued  and  reclaimed  him. 
In  the  United  States  he  might  perhaps  have  found 
a  safe  place  of  refuge,  but  he  was  convinced  that 
the  Bourbons  would  have  had  him  assassinated. 

Escape,  moreover,  always  implies  means — dis- 
guises and  various  wiles,  of  a  somewhat  trivial 
nature — which  were  repugnant  to  the  Emperor, 
as  being  unworthy  of  him.  He  did  not  wish  to 
risk  the  outrage  of  a  coarse  hand  falling  heavily 
upon  his  shoulder  to  arrest  him.  Finally,  until 
now,  he  justly  contested  England's  right  to  treat 
him  as  prisoner,  since  he  had  entrusted  himself  to 
England,  at  Rochefort,  but  had  not  delivered  him- 
self up  to  her.  To  flee  would,  in  a  certain  measure, 
have  constituted  an  admission  that  he  was  a 
prisoner  ;  in  case  of  failure  it  would  have  given  the 
English  that  right  of  capture  over  his  person  which 


52  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

they  claimed,  and  authorised  them  to  use  the 
utmost  severity. 

Napoleon  never  thought  of  escaping. 

Hudson  Lowe  always  believed  the  contrary. 

The  Governor's  mistrust  towards  the  French- 
men at  Longwood  may  appear  natural  enough. 
But  how  is  one  to  explain  it  with  regard  to  three 
men,  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  Baron  Sturmer, 
and  Count  Balmain,  who  represented,  at  Saint 
Helena,  sovereigns  as  little  to  be  suspected  of  tender- 
ness towards  the  Emperor  as  the  British  Cabinet 
itself? 

The  envoys  of  Louis  xviii.,  of  Francis  il,  and 
of  the  Czar  Alexander  had  received  a  mission  to 
survey  with  their  own  eyes  the  captivity  of  General 
Bonaparte,  and  frequently  make  sure  of  his  presence 
in  the  island. 

As  the  General,  unfortunately,  never  gave  them 
the  opportunity  of  seeing  him,  they  went  to  Planta- 
tion for  information  enabling  them  to  send  their 
reports  to  Europe.  LIudson  Lowe  received  them 
very  badly.  "  As  soon  as  he  is  questioned  about 
Bonaparte,"  Count  Balmain  relates,  "his  fore- 
head wrinkles.  He  thinks  a  snare  is  being  set  for 
him,  and  only  gives  an  evasive  answer.  He 
discloses  one  thing  and  hides  another,  explains 
everything  in  a  wrong  way,  squabbles  about  words, 
and  confuses  the  mind.  Then,  he  has  the  fault 
of  losing  his  temper.  He  flies  into  a  passion,  no 
longer    knows    what    he    is    talking    about,    or    the 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  53 

point  he  has  reached,  gets  completely  bewildered, 
so  that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  bring  him  to 
reason.  To  have  dealings  with  him  and  to  be  on 
good  terms  with  him  are  two  impossible  things." 

Repulsed  by  so  much  ill-will,  the  Commissioners, 
as  they  were  called,  took  the  course  of  prowling  round 
Longwood  in  quest  of  news  ;  they  tried  to  come  into 
contact  with  the  Emperor's  companions.  In  time 
cordial  relations  were  established  between  them  and  the 
French  exiles.  Such  a  good  understanding  caused 
Hudson  Lowe  great  alarm.  Towards  the  end  of 
the  Captivity,  the  envoy  of  Louis  xviii.,  desirous  of 
seeking  distraction  in  gardening,  one  day  accepted 
from  Count  de  Montholon  beans  of  two  colours 
ready  for  planting.  Thereupon  the  Governor 
immediately  suspected  him  of  becoming  a  convert 
to  Bonapartism,  and  wrote  gravely  to  Lord 
Bathurst  :  "Whether  the  haricots  blancs  and  haricots 
verts  bear  any  reference  to  the  drapeau  blanc  of 
the  Bourbons  and  the  habit  vert  of  General  Bona- 
parte himself,  and  the  livery  of  his  servants  at 
Longwood,  I  am  unable  to  say,  but  the  Marquis 
de  Montchenu,  it  appears  to  me,  would  have  acted 
with  more  propriety  if  he  had  declined  receiving  either, 
or  limited  himself  to  a  demand  for  the  white  alone." 

Hudson  Lowe  was  still  more  suspicious  of 
the  disposition  and  behaviour  of  the  Austrian, 
Baron  Sturmer,  who  represented  a  court  allied  by 
marriage  to  Napoleon  ;  everybody  knows  how  little 
this  alliance  counted  at  Vienna,  or  even  at  Parma. 


54  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

He  mistrusted  Count  Balmain,  because  the  in- 
structions of  the  Russian  Commissioner  bore  the 
following  recommendations  :  "In  your  relations  with 
Bonaparte,  you  are  to  observe  the  tact  and  discretion 
necessitated  by  so  delicate  a  situation,  and  the 
personal  deference  that  is  his  due," —  a  recommenda- 
tion that  did  not  prevent  the  Czar,  at  the  Congress 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  from  advising  severity  towards 
the  captive  of  Saint  Helena. 

But  it  was  perhaps  in  his  relations  with  his  own 
compatriots  and  subordinates  that  Hudson  Lowe 
showed  the  least  confidence.  There  was  one 
especial  reason  why  he  had  determined  to  cut  off 
from  the  four  miles  limit  the  little  valley,  occupied 
by  five  or  six  houses,  which  formed  part  of  it  ;  the 
Emperor  was  wont  to  visit  the  inhabitants,  who 
seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  seeing  him  !  Some  time 
after  Henry's  arrival,  he  showed,  as  he  thought,  great 
broadness  of  mind  by  restoring  to  Napoleon  the 
use  of  a  path  in  the  valley,  on  the  sole  condition 
that  he  would  never  leave  it,  either  to  enter  a  cottage, 
or  to  rest  in  a  farm  ! 

During  the  five  and  a  half  years  that  the  Captivity 
lasted,  a  number  of  officers  of  the  garrison  incurred 
the  Governor's  displeasure  ;  several  were  degraded  ; 
Dr.  Stokoe,  a  naval  surgeon,  was  tried  by  court- 
martial  on  the  charge  of  treason.  Their  crime,  in 
every  case,  consisted  in  chance  and  merely  courteous 
intercourse  with  the  Frenchmen  of  Longwood. 

When    circumstances    or    politeness    obliged    an 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  55 

Englishman  to  exchange  a  dozen  words  with  the 
Emperor,  or  with  some  one  of  his  suite,  he  had  to 
hasten  immediately  to  Plantation  House  and  report 
them.  But,  however  scrupulously  informed,  Hudson 
Lowe  always  thought  that  he  was  being  deceived. 
A  recent  publication,  the  diary  which  relates  Sir 
Pulteney  Malcolm's  stay  at  Saint  Helena,  supplies 
a  particularly  striking  proof  of  this. 

Admiral  Malcolm,  on  account  of  his  rank  and  the 
importance  of  his  command,  was,  during  thirteen 
months,  from  June,  18 16,  to  July,  181 7,  the  Governor's 
second  and  collaborator.  At  the  head  of  the  naval 
station,  extremely  zealous  with  regard  to  his  duties, 
he  performed  his  service  irreproachably,  and  kept 
so  close  a  watch  over  the  coast  of  the  island,  and 
the  sea,  that  escape  became  impossible.  Being  at 
the  same  time  a  gallant  and  generous-minded  man, 
he  showed  Napoleon  sympathetic  attentions,  and 
frequently  visited  him  at  Longwood.  He  made  no 
secret  of  these  visits  to  Hudson  Lowe.  Yet  he 
was  cross-examined  about  his  conversations  with  the 
Emperor  in  a  way  that  left  him  no  doubt  as  to 
the  Governor's  suspicions,  and,  moreover,  discovered 
one  fine  day  that  Saint  Helena  was  swarming  with 
spies  to  whose  attention  he  had  been  the  first  to 
be  designated. 

As  other  narratives  besides  might  show,  and 
as  the  three  foreign  Commissioners  wrote  to  their 
courts,  Hudson  Lowe,  suffering  from  a  kind  of 
frenzied  anxiety,  and  completely  losing  his  head   at 


56  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  idea  of  his  responsibility,  sees  conspirators  and 
traitors  everywhere.  He  pays  ridiculous  attention 
to  such  incidents  as  that  of  the  beans  ;  multiplies 
his  inquiries  and  counter-inquiries  about  insignificant 
words  and  acts  that  have  been  misrepresented  and 
exaggerated  by  police-spies  and  informers  ;  takes 
alarm  daily  at  the  most  trifling  matters  telegraphed 
to  Plantation  by  the  twenty-two  look-out  stations 
scattered  about  the  island.  An  English  captain  is 
attached  to  Napoleon's  person  :  he  is  quartered  at 
Longwood,  ostensibly,  in  order  that  he  may  be 
constantly  at  his  disposal,  actually,  the  better  to 
watch  him.  Hudson  Lowe  is  disconsolate  because 
he  can  only  obtain  brief,  vague  reports  from  this 
officer,  to  whom  the  Emperor,  who  hardly  leaves 
his  apartments,  remains  almost  invisible.  Another 
Englishman,  Dr.  O'Meara,  is  also  quartered  at  Long- 
wood,  in  the  capacity  of  physician.  The  Governor 
summons  him  at  every  moment,  worries  him  with 
questions  about  the  Frenchmen,  desires  him  to 
repeat  the  conversations  overheard  in  the  course 
of  his  professional  visits,  treats  him  as  a  suspicious 
character,  and  adopts  a  threatening  attitude  towards 
him.  Thus  importuned,  O'Meara — it  will  be  seen 
later — becomes  exasperated,  rebels,  finally  refuses  to 
reply,  and  consequently  brings  about  his  own  undoing. 
With  his  inquisitorial  madness,  Hudson  Lowe 
combines  a  mania  :  the  scribbling  mania.  Morning-, 
noon,  and  night,  assisted  by  his  secretary,  Major 
Gorrequer,    he   stains   paper.     He  jots  down  every 


COUNT    bli   LAS   CASES   (ABOUT    1S50). 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  57 

little  incident,  copies  absurd  examinations,  carefully 
keeps  the  minutes  of  his  continual  inquiries.  He 
sends  interminable  despatches  to  the  Cabinet  in 
London,  and  wearies  every  one  in  the  island  by 
his  perpetual  communications.  No  official  ever  took 
greater  delight  in  hieroglyphics  :  investigating,  in- 
ferring, distinguishing,  considering,  ascertaining,  ratio- 
cinating, quibbling. 

There  was  once,  however,  a  man  at  Saint  Helena 
whose  pen,  when  the  occasion  demanded,  could  rival 
his  own.  On  the  25th  of  November,  181 6,  a  week 
after  the  departure  of  Piontkowski,  Santini,  Rousseau, 
and  the  younger  Archambault,  Las  Cases  was  forcibly 
removed  from  the  Emperor.  He  had  attempted  to 
send  news  of  Napoleon  to  Prince  Lucien  in  Europe. 
The  Governor  decreed  his  expulsion,  but,  unable  to 
embark  him  immediately,  since  no  ship  was  leaving, 
he  relegated  him  provisionally  to  a  spot  at  some 
distance  from  Longwood,  and  had  a  close  watch 
kept  over  him.  Immediately — on  the  26th — the 
diffusive  author  of  the  Mémorial  wrote  him  a  letter 
of  ten  pages:  on  the  27th  a  second  letter;  on  the 
28th  a  third  ;  and  so  forth,  every  day,  without  a  break, 
for  a  month.  Las  Cases,  in  his  imposing  style, 
emphatically  protested  against  the  seizure  of  his 
papers,  and  particularly  of  the  diary  which,  on  its 
publication,  was  to  become  so  famous  ;  he  complained 
of  his  close  confinement,  which  he  declared  to  be 
illegal,  and  threatened  the  potentate  of  Plantation 
with  the  thunderbolts  of  British  law.     The  Governor, 


58  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

equally  verbose,  retorted,  evidently  delighted  at  such 
an  opportunity  for  displaying  his  dialectic  skill, 
his  rhetorical  eloquence,  and  the  resources  of  his 
leeal  knowledge.  He  did  not,  however,  succeed  in 
silencing  his  inexhaustible  adversary.  At  length, 
full  of  sympathy  and  esteem  for  a  spirit  that  appeared 
to  him  to  be  kindred,  and  grieved  at  the  idea  of 
losing  the  only  man  who  was  ever  a  match  for  him 
in  the  sport  of  letter-writing,  and  profuse  argumenta- 
tion, he  told  Las  Cases  to  return  to  Longwood. 
Las  Cases  refused.  Hudson  Lowe  then  insisted, 
requested,  all  but  entreated.  Las  Cases  still  refused, 
and  on  December  30th,  1816,  to  the  Governor's 
great  regret,  quitted  the  island.  This  is  one  of  the 
amusing  incidents  of  Saint  Helena. 

When  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1821,  Hudson 
Lowe  left  the  island  in  his  turn,  he  encumbered 
the  hold  of  the  ship  on  which  he  embarked  with 
his  archives,  and  took  to  England  from  twenty  to 
thirty  boxes  filled  with  manuscripts.  Not  to  men- 
tion the  rest,  his  own  correspondence  would  easily 
supply  material  for  fifty  octavo  volumes  printed 
in  small  type.  From  this  heap  of  waste  paper, 
William  Forsyth  compiled  in  1853  a  work  intended  as 
an  apology,  but  which  is  by  far  the  most  terrible 
impeachment  of  Napoleon's  gaoler  hitherto  published. 
It  contains,  indeed,  an  abundance  of  unfavourable 
information  regarding  the  acts  and  the  disposition 
of  Hudson  Lowe  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  :  for 
example,    the  invitation  sent  to   General    Bonaparte 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  59 

when  Lady  Moira  was  staying  at  Plantation,  together 
with  a  dozen  similar  instances  of  tactlessness.  The 
book  convinces  one  that,  whatever  may  be  maintained 
to  the  contrary,  the  Governor  was  not  merely  a  tool 
in  the  hands  of  Lord  Bathurst  at  Saint  Helena.  He 
took,  to  some  extent,  the  initiative  in  the  system  of 
vexations  pursued  during  the  Captivity.  No  doubt, 
he  received  instructions  from  London,  but  these 
instructions,  as  his  despatches  prove,  were  often  sug- 
gested, provoked,  solicited  even  by  himself.  Nor  is 
it  surprising,  when  one  learns,  from  Forsyth  again, 
about  Hudson  Lowe's  relations  in  Europe,  his  corre- 
spondence with  the  spiteful  Blucher,  and  that  Count 
von  Gneisenau  writes  him  :  "  Our  safety  depends 
upon  your  vigilance  and  firmness.  Do  not  allow  your 
subalterns  to  show  Bonaparte  misplaced  pity  or  undue 
respect.  Never  depart  from  a  severe  attitude  towards 
the  most  cunning  scoundrel  on  the  face  of  this  earth." 
These  lines  form  part  of  a  letter  in  which  the 
Prussian  general  speaks  in  glowing  terms  of  the 
Governor's  military  talent  and  political  capacity.  This 
is  why  Forsyth  introduces  them  in  his  book.  The 
greater  part  of  the  documents  that  he  quotes  have 
the  same  defect  of  including  awkward  passages  to- 
gether with  useful  affidavits.  Designed  to  confound 
Napoleon's  eulogists,  the  papers  bequeathed  by 
Hudson  Lowe  to  his  defenders  resemble  those 
defective  firearms,  that  are  as  formidable  to  those 
who  handle  them  as  to  those  against  whom  they  are 
directed  ;  their  use  is  always  attended  by  risk. 


6o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Forsyth,  and  recently  Seaton,  another  panegyrist, 
appear  to  have  noticed  how  slight  is  the  justificatory 
value  of  the  Governor's  brief.  By  way  of  remedy 
they  make  use  of  common  tactics  :  in  order  to  acquit 
Hudson  Lowe,  they  accuse  Napoleon. 

They  reproach  him  with  not  having  borne  his 
misfortunes  with  dignity  ;  with  having  wearied  the 
world,  during  his  captivity,  with  paltry,  exaggerated 
complaints. 

"When,"  as  Thiers  judiciously  remarks,  "the 
victor  delights  in  humiliating  the  conquered,  he 
makes  it  a  duty  for  him  to  resist  the  humiliation." 

Napoleon  was  right  to  claim  the  imperial  title, 
since  his  gaolers  affected  to  call  him  General  Bona- 
parte. He  was  right  to  consider  himself  shamefully 
lodged  in  a  small,  damp,  dark  dwelling  at  Longwood, 
since  there  existed  at  Saint  Helena  a  comfortable, 
a  sumptuous  mansion,  more  suitable  for  a  former 
sovereign  :  Plantation,  where  a  mere  government 
official  strutted  about. 

Since  all  his  correspondence  was  read,  he  was 
right  again  to  seek  indirect  channels  for  the  letters  he 
sent  or  received.  For  why  was  he  prevented  from 
sealing  them  ?  Could  it  be  feared  that  they  might 
contain  some  important  secret,  a  plan  of  escape,  for 
instance  ?  Are  seals  so  reliable  ?  No,  the  regula- 
tion as  to  the  open  envelope  was  simply  a  vexatious 
one,  yet  another  insult  :  the  imperial  captive  was 
treated  in  this  respect  as  a  prisoner  at  common  law  is 
treated. 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  61 

He  possessed  considerable  funds  in  Europe,  and, 
thanks  to  his  agents,  could  always  dispose  of  them 
for  his  needs  at  Saint  Helena.  When  he  broke 
up  his  silver-plate  and  sold  it  to  a  tradesman  at 
Jamestown,  he  assumed  an  appearance  of  poverty 
from  which  he  seldom  suffered  in  reality.  The  pre- 
tence was  legitimate,  however  ;  Lord  Rosebery 
approves  of  it.  If  Napoleon  had  not  protested 
theatrically  against  the  meanness  of  the  English 
Ministers,  and  their  offensive  pretensions  to  reduce 
his  household,  other  outrages  would  have  followed. 
Many,  indeed,  were  meditated.  For  instance,  "the 
permission  of  intercourse  with  a  few  fellow-country- 
men and  of  the  attendance  of  his  old  servants  was  to 
be,  if  practicable,  withdrawn  ;  Piontkowski,  Rousseau, 
Santini,  and  Archambault  the  younger  once  gone,  the 
remainder  were  to  be  persuaded  to  leave  him."  The 
hammer  which  broke  the  silver-plate  of  Longwood 
made  an  opportune  noise  ;  the  whole  world  heard  it 
and  was  roused.  A  sensational  debate  took  place  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  and,  as  the  author  of  The  Last 
Phase  also  remarks,  from  that  moment  there  is  a 
noticeable  change  in  the  tone  of  Lord  Bathurst's 
instructions  :  they  become  milder. 

In  Forsyth's  and  Seaton's  judgment  the  entire 
persecution  of  the  Captivity  was  but  a  trifle  to 
which  Napoleon  paid  too  much  attention.  Nothing 
should  have  affected  a  man  like  him  ;  no  affront, 
however  unwarrantable,  should  have  disturbed  his 
serenity  or  broken  his  silence.     These  stern  moralists 


62  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

regret  that  to  his  superiority  as  the  greatest  captain, 
the  greatest  administrator,  and  the  greatest  legislator 
of  modern  times,  he  did  not  add,  during  his  last 
years,  that  of  being  the  greatest  of  philosophers,  a 
saint.  According  to  them,  he  forfeited  his  glory  by 
not  turning  both  cheeks  to  the  smiter. 

Well,  it  was  not  Christ,  but  only  an  Emperor,  who 
was  once  a  prisoner  at  Saint  Helena.  They  called 
him  General  Bonaparte  there,  out  of  derision.  All 
things  considered,  and  whatever  may  be  maintained 
to  the  contrary,  he  bore  his  lot  and  harsh  treatment 
in  a  befitting  manner,  but  his  resignation  was  not 
complete.  On  certain  days,  he  lost  patience  and 
called  the  official  in  whose  custody  he  was  placed  a 
fool,  a  myrmidon,  and  a  scribe.  In  spite  of  Forsyths 
and  Seatons,  history  will  ratify  these  three  epithets. 

The  second  month  of  his  stay  in  the  island,  at  the 
beginning  of  August,  1817,  Dr.  Henry  saw  Hudson 
Lowe  for  the  first  time.  The  Governor  reviewed 
the  66th  at  Deadwood. 

The  regiment  comprised  two  battalions  :  the  one 
that  had  recently  arrived  from  India,  to  which  the 
assistant-surgeon  belonged,  and  another  that  had 
come  directly  from  England  and  was  garrisoned  at 
Saint  Helena  since  the  middle  of  1816.  The  total 
amounted  to  twelve  hundred  men.  Five  hundred, 
under  Colonel  Nicol  and  Lieutenant-Colonels  Dodgin 
and  Lascelles,  were  encamped  opposite  Longwood, 
together  with  an  artillery  company  ;    the   remainder 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  63 

were  quartered  in  barracks  at  Jamestown  or  in  canton- 
ments at  various  points  of  the  island. 

In  the  full-dress  uniform  of  a  lieutenant-general, 
a  scarlet,  gold-laced  coat,  and  a  hat  adorned  with 
plumes,  Hudson  Lowe,  escorted  by  his  orderlies  and 
a  half-company  of  blue  dragoons,  rode  along  the  red 
lines  of  infantry  and  the  dark  front  of  the  gunners. 
Then,  with  his  usual  tactlessness  and  bad  taste,  he 
ordered  a  sham  fight  to  take  place  within  a  few  yards 
of  Napoleon's  enclosure.  The  unexpected  uproar  of 
a  thousand  rifles  and  half  a  dozen  cannons  probably 
surprised  the  Emperor  ;  he  came  out  of  his  house,  and 
Dr.  Henry  could  see  him  following  through  his  field- 
glasses  the  marches  in  columns,  the  formation  of  squares, 
the  deployments,  and  the  bayonet  charges  ordered  by 
the  Governor  against  an  imaginary  foe.  The  ridiculous 
aspect  of  such  paltry  evolutions  before  the  eyes  of 
such  a  judge  struck  the  assistant-surgeon.  "  Our  puny 
mimicry  of  war,"  he  says,  "must  have  appeared  as 
utterly  puerile  and  insignificant  to  him,  as  the  sight 
of  boys  playing  marbles  to  Newton  and  Laplace, 
after  poring  through  their  telescopes  on  the  ring  of 
Saturn,  or  the  satellites  of  Jupiter.  They  might 
have  spared  the  warrior  of  a  hundred  fields  the 
mortification  of  contrasting  the  child's  play,  of  which 
he  was  now  an  unwilling  spectator,  with  the  triumphs 
of  Austerlitz  or  Jena." 

After  these    manœuvres    the  officers   of  the  66th 
were  invited  to  dinner  at  Plantation  House. 

Hudson   Lowe's  residence,    at   the   north-west  of 


64  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Saint  Helena,  and  on  the  same  side  of  the  island 
as  Jamestown  and  The  Briars,  was  a  building 
lacking  architectural  style,  but  of  a  fine  appearance. 
With  its  white  front,  its  wings  receding  slightly  and 
its  two  storeys  lighted  by  a  score  of  regular  windows, 
it  resembled  one  of  those  most  desirable  country- 
seats  of  France  looking  out  upon  a  wide  lawn  and 
encircled  and  shaded  by  venerable  trees.  It  was 
spacious  and  comfortable,  and  comprised  forty  rooms, 
including  a  hall,  a  luxuriously  furnished  drawing- 
room,  a  well-stocked  library,  a  billiard-room  and  even 
that  additional  advantage  :  a  concert-room. 

The  meal  given  to  the  officers  of  the  66th  proved 
an  excellent  one.  Henry  admired  the  arrangements  ; 
he  praises  the  dishes  and  extols  the  generous  wines. 
But  he  noticed  that  his  host,  continually  preoccupied 
by  Longwood  and  the  responsibilities  of  his  office, 
spoke  little,  and  sometimes  showed  signs  of  absent- 
mindedness.  "  Happily,"  says  he,  "  Lady  Lowe 
kept  the  conversation  from  flagging,  and  we  were 
all  delighted  with  her.  Lady  Lowe's  was  not  a 
perfect  figure,  but  she  had  a  fine  face,  laughing  eyes, 
much  conversational  talent,  a  fair  and  beautiful  neck, 
and  a  lovely  arm.  In  short,  she  presided  at  her 
own  table  with  much  grace  and  brilliancy,  and  was 
altogether  a  very  captivating  woman." 

She  had  two  grown-up  daughters  by  a  previous 
marriage  ;  the  elder  at  least,  who  resembled  her 
mother,  must  have  been  equally  attractive  to  the 
doctor. 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  65 

Henry,  no  doubt,  possessed  some  letter  of 
introduction  to  the  Governor,  for  he  was  one  of  three 
favoured  guests  to  whom,  after  dinner,  Hudson  Lowe 
offered  hospitality  for  the  night. 

The  next  day,  before  returning  to  Deadwood,  he 
visited  the  gardens  of  Plantation. 

In  an  island  almost  completely  bare,  but  for 
tiny  oases  like  The  Briars,  these  gardens  caused 
astonishment  ;  their  extent  was  such  that  they  might 
have  been  called  a  park,  even  in  Europe. 

A  grove  of  firs  scaled  a  hillock  behind  the  house 
and  formed  a  sombre  background  to  its  whiteness. 
In  front,  between  two  other  hillocks  planted  with  a 
variety  of  trees,  tender  green  lawns  spread  out  over 
almost  half  a  mile.  They  were  formed  by  a  kind  of 
grass,  common  at  Saint  Helena,  and  known  as  mat- 
grass,  which  grows  thick  and  close,  and  gives  under- 
foot the  sensation  of  felt.  They  sloped  gently 
towards  the  north,  and  were  followed  by  a  kind  of 
staircase  of  wooded  terraces  which  hastened  the 
descent.  The  last  one,  from  a  height  of  several 
hundred  feet,  commanded  a  view  of  a  deep  ravine, 
Young's  Valley,  a  romantic  gully  at  the  end  of  which 
the  sea  expanded  its  blue  surface.  Plantation  is 
situated  at  an  altitude  hardly  inferior  to  that  of 
Longwood,  but  high  summits  shelter  it  from  the 
trade-winds,  and  the  position  has  every  advantage. 
Both  the  chilly  dampness  of  the  unprotected  plateau 
to  which  the  Emperor  was  relegated  and  the  stiflino- 
heat  from  which  the  inhabitants  of  Jamestown,  cooped 
5 


66  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

up  in  their  gorge,  sometimes  suffer  are  unknown 
here.  The  air  is  always  delightful,  balmy  and  pure. 
The  thermometer  seldom  rises  above  jy°  Fahrenheit, 
or  falls  below  65*.  So  mild  and  even  a  temperature 
suits  plants  of  extremely  different  species  and  of  all 
origins,  whether  they  come  from  tropical  or  from 
temperate  zones,  from  the  old  world  or  from  the  new. 
The  Governor's  gardens  were  a  marvel  of  botanical 
contrasts. 

The  oak  of  Europe  grew  close  to  the  banian  of 
India;  the  birch  of  the  north  beside  the  baobab  of 
Africa.  Noble  cedars  stretched  their  great  rigid 
arms  near  the  flexible  stipes  and  the  plumes  of  the 
cocoa-trees  ;  tapering  poplars  raised  their  crests 
above  the  round  tops  of  the  tamarinds.  Under  the 
slender  springings  of  the  beech-trees,  white  and  red 
camélias  blossomed  in  big  bunches  ;  ivy  could  be 
seen  climbing  the  trunks  of  the  sassafras,  while  the 
creepers  of  Brazil  wound  their  tendrils  and  hung  their 
violet  clusters  about  the  branches  of  the  chestnuts. 
Every  vegetable  variety  flourished  to  a  remarkable 
degree  in  this  spot.  There  were  tree-like  ferns  and 
giant  bamboos,  bowers  of  box-trees  six  feet  high, 
and  impenetrable  thickets  of  aloes.  Here,  palm-trees 
soared  to  an  unusual  height,  and  the  Norfolk  pine, 
rising  three  hundred  feet  into  the  air,  towered  above 
everything. 

Henry  first  saw  Plantation  in  August,  a  winter 
month  at  Saint  Helena.  Yet  nearly  all  the  trees  had 
leaves,  flowers  or   fruit.      Indeed,  perpetual   summer 


•;  - 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  67 

reigns  in  places  favourably  situated  on  the  island, 
and  the  oaks  almost  alone  appear  to  remember 
the  existence  of  seasons  and  shed  their  foliage. 

Their  bareness  was  hardly  noticeable  amidst 
the  general  luxuriance  ;  their  temporary  abstention 
scarcely  perceptible  in  the  variegated  harmony  of 
frondescence  in  which  the  sombre  ebony-trees  and 
the  light  mimosas,  the  wine-coloured  pruni  and  the 
bluish  eucalyptuses,  the  golden  catalpas  and  the  silver 
willows  still  persisted.  The  tulip-tree  studded  the 
groves  with  the  bright  stars  of  its  corols  ;  the  wide, 
low  umbel  of  the  melanodendron  formed  here  and 
there  a  huge  bunch  of  marguerites.  Peach-trees 
were  pink,  pomegranates  entirely  purple,  and  orange- 
and  lemon-trees  offered  to  the  visitors  the  gold  of 
their  red  and  yellow  fruit. 

Whilst  Napoleon,  at  Longwood,  bore  the  in- 
cessant blast  of  the  bitter  trade-winds,  and  had 
hardly  any  other  vegetation  to  behold  than  the 
ironical  leafage  of  the  gum-trees,  Hudson  Lowe, 
in  this  earthly  paradise,  found  throughout  the  year 
flowery  haunts  for  his  solemn  meditations,  magnolias 
and  pines  to  distract  his  stern  gaze,  and  breathed 
a  mild  air  in  which  the  musked  aromas  of  the  tropics 
and  the  balmy  perfumes  of  northern  forests  mingled 
their  fragrance  in  exquisite  doses. 

Henry  confesses  that  he  did  not  like  the  Governor 
at  first  :  "  His  countenance,"  he  grants,  "  was  un- 
pleasing."  But  the  assistant-surgeon,  young  and 
gallant,  fond  of  good   living  and  a  lover  of  beauti- 


68  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

ful  scenery,  could  not  fail  to  be  finally  won  over  to 
a  man  who  made  up  for  lack  of  personal  charm  by 
the  possession  of  three  attractions  particularly  to  be 
appreciated  at  Saint  Helena  :  a  pretty  wife,  a  good 
cook,  and  an  enchanted  park. 

His  prejudices  were  quickly  dispelled.  He  paid 
frequent  visits  to  Plantation,  and  became  one  of 
the  friends  and  the  favourite  doctor  of  the  house. 
On  his  departure  from  the  island,  after  Napoleon's 
death,  Hudson  Lowe  strewed  his  passage  with  the 
flowers  of  a  flattering  General  Order,  which,  no 
doubt,  contributed  to  his  promotion.  He  would  be 
considered  ungrateful  if  he  did  not  act  as  he  does,  if 
he  did  not  try  to  defend  the  man,  to  whom,  perhaps, 
the  success  of  his  career  was  due  ;  to  whom  at  least 
he  owed,  during  his  stay  in  a  dull  garrison,  the 
pleasure  of  excellent  dinners,  the  charm  of  ladies' 
society,  and  the  delight  of  green  groves  wherein  to 
rest  his  eyes  after  the  arid  waste  of  Deadwood. 

He  says  :  "  It  is  extremely  probable,  and  I  believe 
it  to  be  a  fact,  that  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  went  to 
Saint  Helena  determined  to  conduct  himself  with 
courtesy  and  kindness  to  Napoleon,  and  to  afford  him 
as  many  comforts  and  as  much  personal  freedom 
as  were  consistent  with  his  safe  custody.  I  was 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  officer  charged  with 
the  care  of  Longwood  for  nearly  three  years,  and  he 
assured  me  that  the  Governor  repeatedly  desired  him 
to  consult  the  comfort  of  the  great  man  and  his  suite, 
to   attend   to   their   suggestions,   and    to   make   their 


THE  GOVERNOR,  HUDSON  LOWE  69 

residence  as  agreeable  as  possible.  Two  of  the 
orderly  officers  at  Longwood,  namely,  Majors 
Blakeney  and  Nicholls,  of  the  66th  Regiment,  have 
given  me  the  same  assurance.  I  have  myself  seen 
courteous  notes  from  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  to  these 
officers,  accompanying  pheasants  and  other  delicacies 
sent  from  Plantation  House  for  Napoleon's  table." 

Henry  pleads  an  ungrateful  cause.  What  are 
a  few  pheasants  and  occasional  attentions  when 
compared  with  countless  mean  actions  and  continual 
vexations  !  The  witnesses  of  Saint  Helena  almost 
unanimously  accuse  Hudson  Lowe  ;  not  only 
Napoleon's  companions,  such  as  Las  Cases  and  Mon- 
tholon,  but  also  the  legitimist  Marquis  de  Montchenu, 
the  Austrian,  Sturmer,  the  Russian,  Balmain,  the 
Englishmen,  O'Meara,  Malcolm,  and  Stokoe.  Read 
and  read  again  the  chroniclers  of  the  Captivity  :  Henry 
has  hardly  any  one  to  assist  him  in  an  impossible 
task,  but  the  friend  to  whom  he  has  just  alluded  : 
Colonel  Basil  Jackson.  This  officer,  after  having 
been  Hudson  Lowe's  aide-de-camp  in  18 14,  was 
brought  by  the  Governor  to  Saint  Helena,  where  he 
immediately  rose  from  the  rank  of  lieutenant  to  that 
of  captain,  at  twenty-four  years  of  age.  An  assiduous 
guest  at  Plantation,  it  was  on  him  that  the  responsi- 
bility of  keeping  up  the  dilapidated  buildings  of 
Longwood  devolved.  Constantly  obliged  to  shore 
its  walls,  requested,  too  often  to  his  liking,  to  repair 
the  pasteboard  roofs,  he  considered  the  complaints  of 
the   Frenchmen    excessive  ;   he   accuses   them   in   his 


7o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

memoirs  of  being  exacting  and  always  discontented, 
and  strongly  denounces  the  lies  and  wrangling 
whereby  Bonaparte  attempted  to  discredit  the  un- 
happy official  in  whose  custody  he  was  placed  and 
bring  about  his  ruin.  Henry  complacently  quotes 
Jackson's  opinions.  But  what  weight  can  these 
opinions,  even  more  tainted  with  partiality  than  his 
own,  add  to  his  hopeless  attempt  at  a  defence  ? 

After  having  made  the  acquaintance  of  Hudson 
Lowe,  the  assistant-surgeon  was  now  to  see  Napoleon. 
He  is  so  favourably  disposed  towards  the  Governor, 
that  it  will  doubtless  surprise  no  one  that  he  speaks 
unsympathetically  of  the  Emperor. 


CHAPTER    III. 
THE  EMPEROR. 

ON  the  i st  of  September,  1817,  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  the  officers  of  the  66th,  headed 
by  Sir  George  Bingham,  the  general  in  command  of 
the  garrison  at  Saint  Helena,  called  on  Napoleon  at 
Longwood. 

They  had  requested  the  Emperor  to  receive  them, 
and  came  in  a  body  to  pay  him  a  visit. 

They  numbered  thirty-seven,  all  in  full-dress 
uniform  :  a  red  coat  with  yellow  collar  and  cuffs, 
silver  epaulets,  a  crimson  sash,  a  sword,  white  breeches, 
soft  top  boots,  and  cocked  hats  ornamented  with  plumes. 

Henry,  in  his  account  of  the  interview  which  took 
place,  begins  as  follows  ; — 

"  The  old  illustration  of  a  fly  presuming  to  scan 
the  proportions  of  some  noble  column,  may  be  applied 
to  the  boldness  of  so  humble  a  person  as  the  author, 
in  daring  publicly  to  express  an  opinion  respecting 
Napoleon  Bonaparte.  Yet,  it  may  be  urged  in  extenua- 
tion of  this  audacity,  that  almost  every  rational  person 
within  the  circle  of  civilisation  has  an  opinion  on  the 
subject,  and  that  some  thousands  of  them  have  been 
already  given  to  the  public.      Further,  I  may  be  per- 


72  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

mitted  to  remark,  that  I  had  minutely  and  with  great 
attention  read  his  history,  and  that  of  the  French 
Revolution  ;  and  was  well  acquainted  with  his  own 
great  achievements,  and  competently  informed  as  to 
the  public  lives  of  the  most  prominent  characters  on 
the  European  stage,  for  the  last  forty  or  fifty  years. 
It  also  may  be  truly  alleged,  that  as  I  had  never 
joined  in  the  Napoleonic  idolatry,  neither,  on  the  other 
hand,  had  I  chimed  in  with  the  loud  execrations 
poured  upon  his  name,  nor  in  the  opinions  of  many 
who  could  perceive  nothing  but  the  most  gigantic 
guilt  in  the  man,  without  one  single  redeeming 
quality.  Perhaps  the  time  is  not  yet  come  for  the 
most  upright  and  impartial  minds  to  free  themselves 
from  a  strong  and  early  bias,  pro  or  con,  and  to  judge 
with  the  necessary  coolness  and  moderation.  We 
still  walk  on  the  warm  surface  of  the  extinct  volcano 
which  the  great  man  in  question  so  materially  assisted 
in  kindling  and  extending  ;  the  fire  is  scarcely  out 
sub  sinere  doloso,  and  we  are  not  yet  comfortable  nor 
sure  of  our  footing-. 

"  Napoleon  always  appeared  to  me  a  being  of 
an  unique  character,  isolated,  unapproachable,  sut 
generis,  or  rather  a  genus  in  himself.  Possessing  a 
daring  and  comprehensive  mind,  which  could  at  the 
same  time  conceive  the  most  magnificent  schemes 
and  designs,  and  embrace  all  the  prospective  steps 
and  minute  details  necessary  for  their  accomplishment, 
he  found  himself  at  once  pushed  on  by  fortune  into  an 
elevated    station,    and    then     raised    himself    to    the 


THE  EMPEROR  73 

highest,  by  consummate  political  talent  and  military 
skill,  directing  the  chivalrous  devotion  of  masses  of 
enthusiastic  soldiers.  But,  as  has  been  well  said,  lord 
though  he  was  of  France  and  almost  of  Europe,  he 
was  never  thoroughly  master  of  the  little  world 
within  ;  for  the  fierce  Italian  passions  would  boil  up 
in  his  bosom,  and  often  overboil  without  effectual 
constraint.  At  length,  rendered  giddy  by  the  immense 
elevation  he  had  attained,  and  the  constant  whirl  of 
his  perilous  prosperity,  he  yet  soared  higher  ;  but  the 
ascent  could  not  always  last,  and  he  began  to  totter 
to  his  fall.  One  false  step  was  on  the  towers  of  the 
Escurial,  and  another  still  more  fatal,  on  the  dome  of 
Kremlin.  Long,  and  bravely,  and  tenaciously,  did  he 
cling  to  his  lofty  position  notwithstanding  ;  and  when 
he  found  himself  falling,  attempt  to  regain  it  with 
astonishing  power  of  resilience  :  but  the  fiat  had  gone 
forth  against  him,  and  it  was  all  in  vain.  At  length 
he  tumbled  down  hopelessly  and  for  ever,  without  the 
smallest  sympathy  from  mankind  to  soften  his  fall. 

"  As  to  his  moral  character,  I  believe  his  warmest 
advocates  can  here  say  very  little  in  his  favour.  He  was 
utterly  devoid  of  any  honest  ethical  principles,  reckless 
as  to  right  and  wrong,  conscienceless,  remorseless.  His 
uniform  rule  through  life  was,  the  end  justifies  the 
means." 

Henry,  in  the  first  line  of  this  preamble,  humbles 
himself,  proclaims  himself  a  pigmy  and  states  his  fear 
of  ridicule  should  he  venture  to  criticise  a  colossus  ;  in 
the  next  line,  he  boasts  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of 


74  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  history  of  his  time,  and  esteems  himself  suffici- 
ently competent  to  speak  of  Napoleon.  He  protests 
his  impartiality,  but  adds  that  impartiality  is  perhaps 
impossible  at  the  period  of  passion  at  which  he  is 
writing.  After  having  expressed  such  an  opinion,  he 
ought,  logically,  to  practise  prudent  circumspection. 
Far  from  that,  he  at  once  pronounces  a  severe  and 
definite  judgment  on  a  character  which,  after  so  much 
study  with  the  aid  of  innumerable  documents  unknown 
to  him,  and  now  that  it  can  be  examined  dispassion- 
ately, is  generally  regarded  as  at  least  enigmatic. 

Why  does  Henry  thus  jump  across  contradictions 
to  hasty  conclusions?  His  aim  is  to  influence  the 
reader  and  to  prepare  him  for  the  equally  unflattering 
physical  portrait  he  is  about  to  draw  of  Napoleon,  for 
the  repulsive  features  he  will  attribute  to  him,  the 
interpretation  he  will  place  upon  his  words  and 
gestures  ;  in  short,  for  the  impression  which  he 
declares  he  received  on  his  visit  to  Longwood.  This 
impression,  he  is  aware,  runs  the  risk  of  provoking 
astonishment  ;  it  differs  from  that  generally  experi- 
enced by  his  countrymen  in  the  presence  of  the  captive 
of  Saint  Helena. 

Let  us  see  how  the  Emperor  is  described  and 
judged  by  the  Englishmen  who  were  able  to  approach 
him  between  these  two  dates  :  the  fatal  morning  on 
which  he  loses  his  liberty  in  the  roadstead  of  Roche- 
fort  by  throwing  himself  upon  British  generosity,  and 
the  evening  of  May  5th,  1821,  when  death  delivers 
him  from  a  lamentable  existence  on  a  rock  ! 


THE  EMPEROR  75 

"When  Napoleon  Bonaparte  came  on  board  the 
Bellerophon,  on  the  15th  of  July,  18 15,"  relates  Captain 
Maitland,  "  he  wanted  exactly  one  month  of  completing 
his  forty-sixth  year,  being  born  the  1 5th  of  August,  1 769. 
He  was  then  a  remarkably  strong,  well-built  man,  about 
5  feet  7  inches  high,  his  limbs  particularly  well-formed, 
with  a  fine  ankle  and  very  small  foot,  of  which  he 
seemed  rather  vain,  as  he  always  wore,  while  on  board 
the  ship,  silk  stockings  and  shoes.  His  hands  were 
also  very  small  and  had  the  plumpness  of  a  woman's 
rather  than  the  robustness  of  a  man's.  His  eyes  were 
light  grey,  his  teeth  good.  When  he  smiled,  the  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance  was  highly  pleasing,  but 
under  the  influence  of  disappointment  it  assumed 
a  sombre,  gloomy  cast.  His  hair  was  of  a  very  dark 
brown,  nearly  approaching  to  black,  and,  though  a 
little  thin  on  the  top  and  front,  had  not  a  grey  hair 
amongst  it.  His  complexion  was  a  very  uncommon 
one,  being  of  a  light  sallow  colour,  differing  from 
almost  any  other  I  ever  met  with." 

This  is  followed  by  a  eulogy  of  Napoleon's  pleas- 
ing and  affable  manners,  a  eulogy  which  acquires  a 
particular  value  from  the  circumstances  under  which 
the  Emperor  merited  it  : — 

11  He  joined  in  every  conversation,  related  numer- 
ous anecdotes,  and  endeavoured,  in  every  way,  to 
promote  good  humour  :  he  even  admitted  his  attend- 
ants to  great  familiarity  ;  and  I  saw  one  or  two 
instances  of  their  contradicting  him  in  the  most  direct 
terms,  though  they  generally  treated  him  with  much 


76  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

respect.  He  possessed,  to  a  wonderful  degree,  a 
facility  in  making  a  favourable  impression  upon  those 
with  whom  he  entered  into  conversation  :  this  appeared 
to  me  to  be  accomplished  by  turning  the  subject  to 
matters  he  supposed  the  person  he  was  addressing 
was  well  acquainted  with,  and  on  which  he  could  show 
himself  to  advantage.  .   .  . 

"  He  appeared  to  have  great  command  of  temper  ; 
for  though  no  man  could  have  had  greater  trials  than 
fell  to  his  lot  during  the  time  he  remained  on  board 
the  Belleropkon,  he  never,  in  my  presence,  or  as  far 
as  I  know,  allowed  a  fretful  or  captious  expression  to 
escape  him  :  even  the  day  he  received  the  notification 
from  Sir  Bunbury,  that  it  was  determined  to  send 
him  to  Saint  Helena,  he  chatted  and  conversed  with 
the  same  cheerfulness  as  usual.  It  has  been  asserted 
that  he  was  acting  a  part  all  the  time  he  was  on 
board  the  ship  ;  but  still,  even  allowing  that  to  be  the 
case,  nothing  but  great  command  of  temper  could 
have  sustained  such  a  part  for  so  many  days,  in  his 
situation." 

From  the  Belleropkon,  the  Emperor  is  transferred 
to  the  Northumberland,  which  has  been  chosen  to 
carry  him  to  the  island  of  exile.  The  passage 
from  the  one  ship  to  the  other  takes  place  on 
the  7th  of  August,  1815,  off  the  English  coast, 
at  Torbay.  An  eye  -  witness,  William  Warden, 
surgeon  of  the  British  Navy,  describes  the  scene  as 
follows  : — 

"Our  quarter-deck  was  covered  with  officers,  and 


THE  EMPEROR  77 

there  were  also  some  individuals  of  rank  who  had 
come  round  from  motives  of  curiosity. 

"The  marines  occupied  the  front  of  the  poop, 
and  the  officers  kept  the  quarter-deck.  An  universal 
silence  prevailed  when  the  barge  reached  the  side, 
and  there  was  a  grave,  but  anxious  aspect  in  all  the 
spectators,  which,  in  the  opinion  of  others  as  well  as 
in  my  own,  was  no  small  addition  to  the  solemnity 
of  the  ceremonial.  Count  Bertrand  ascended  first, 
and  having  bowed,  retired  a  few  steps  to  give  place 
to  him  whom  he  still  considered  as  his  master,  and  in 
whose  presence  he  appeared  to  feel  all  his  most 
respectful  homage  was  still  due.  The  whole  ship's 
company  seemed  at  this  moment  to  be  in  breathless 
expectation.  Lord  Keith  was  the  last  who  quitted 
the  barge,  and  I  cannot  give  you  a  more  complete 
idea  of  the  rapt  attention  of  all  on  board  to  the 
figure  of  Napoleon,  than  that  his  Lordship,  high  as  he  is 
in  naval  character,  Admiral  also  of  the  Channel  Fleet, 
to  which  we  belonged,  and  arrayed  in  the  full  uniform 
of  his  rank,  emblazoned  with  the  decorations  of  his 
order,  did  not  seem  to  be  noticed,  nor  scarcely  even  to 
be  seen,  among  the  group  which  was  subject  to  him. 

"  With  a  slow  step  Bonaparte  mounted  the  gang- 
way, and,  on  feeling  himself  firm  on  the  quarter-deck, 
he  raised  his  hat,  when  the  guard  presented  arms  and 
the  drum  rolled.  The  officers  of  the  Northumberland, 
who  were  uncovered,  stood  considerably  in  advance. 
Those  he  approached,  and  saluted  with  an  air  of  the 
most  affable  politeness.   .   .   . 


7  S  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"His  dress  was  that  of  a  general  of  French 
infantry  when  it  formed  a  part  of  his  army.  The  coat 
was  orreen  faced  with  white  ;  the  rest  was  white,  with 
white  silk  stockings,  and  a  handsome  shoe  with  gold 
oval  buckles." 

The  Emperor  landed  at  Saint  Helena  on  the  1 7th  of 
October,  18 15.  The  next  day,  accompanied  by  Count 
Bertrand,  Sir  George  Cockburn,  and  two  English 
officers,  he  visited  the  cottage  of  The  Briars.  Betsy 
Balcombe  had  been  brought  up  in  terror  of  his  name, 
as  she  herself  relates.  When  she  was  five  years  old, 
Bonaparte  was  described  to  her  as  an  ogre  whose 
solitary  red  eye  blazed  in  the  middle  of  his  forehead, 
and  whose  big  teeth — that,  especially,  alarmed  her — 
tore  to  pieces  little  girls  who  grieved  their  parents. 
Now,  aged  fourteen,  she  still  believed  him  to  be  the 
ugliest  and  most  wicked  of  men.  And  this  is  how  he 
appeared  to  her  on  a  radiant  afternoon  of  a  southern 
spring  : — 

"  The  party  arrived  at  the  gate,  and  there  being 
no  carriage  road,  they  all  dismounted,  excepting 
the  Emperor.  He  retained  his  seat  and  rode  up  the 
avenue,  his  horse's  feet  cutting  up  the  turf  on  our 
pretty  lawn.  Sir  George  Cockburn  walked  on  one 
side  of  his  horse,  and  General  Bertrand  on  the  other. 
How  vividly  I  recollect  my  feelings  of  dread,  mingled 
with  admiration,  as  I  now  first  looked  upon  him 
whom  I  had  learned  to  fear  so  much.  His  appear- 
ance on  horseback  was  noble  and  imposing.  The 
animal   he  rode  was  a  superb  one  ;    his  colour  jet 


MRS.    ABELL    (BETSY    BALCOMBE). 
After  the  Portrait  in  her  "  Recollections  "  (1S44). 


THE  EMPEROR  79 

black  ;  and  as  he  proudly  stepped  up  the  avenue, 
arching  his  neck  and  champing-  his  bit,  I  thought  he 
looked  worthy  to  be  the  bearer  of  him  who  was  once 
the  ruler  of  nearly  the  whole  European  world. 

"  Napoleon's  position  on  horseback,  by  adding 
height  to  his  figure,  supplied  all  that  was  wanting 
to  make  me  think  him  the  most  majestic  person  I 
had  ever  seen.  His  dress  was  green,  and  covered 
with  orders,  and  his  saddle  and  housings  were  of 
crimson  velvet  richly  embroidered  with  gold.  He 
alighted  at  our  house,  and  we  all  moved  to  the 
entrance  to  receive  him.  Sir  George  Cockburn 
introduced  us  to  him. 

"He  was  deadly  pale,  and  I  thought  his  features, 
though  cold  and  immovable,  and  somewhat  stern, 
were  exceedingly  beautiful.  He  seated  himself  on 
one  of  our  cottage  chairs,  and  after  scanning  our 
little  apartment  with  his  eagle  glance,  he  compli- 
mented mamma  on  the  pretty  situation  of  The  Briars. 
When  once  he  began  to  speak,  his  fascinating  smile 
and  kind  manner  removed  every  vestige  of  the  fear 
with  which  I  had  hitherto  regarded  him. 

"  While  he  was  talking  to  mamma,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  scrutinising  his  features,  which  I  did 
with  the  keenest  interest,  and  certainly  I  have  never 
seen  any  one  with  so  remarkable  and  striking  a 
physiognomy.  The  portraits  of  him  give  a  good 
general  idea  of  his  features  ;  but  his  smile,  and  the 
expression  of  his  eye,  could  not  be  transmitted  to 
canvas,  and  these  constituted  Napoleon's  chief  charm. 


8o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

His  hair  was  dark  brown,  and  as  fine  and  silky  as 
a  child's  ;  rather  too  much  so  indeed  for  a  man,  as  its 
very  softness  caused  it  to  look  thin.  His  teeth  were 
even,  but  rather  dark,  and  I  afterwards  found  that 
this  arose  from  his  constant  habit  of  eating  liquorice, 
of  which  he  always  kept  a  supply  in  his  waistcoat 
pocket." 

A  few  days  later,  Betsy,  now  quite  at  home  with 
the  ogre  of  her  childhood,  began  to  plague  him  by 
her  sly  tricks.  How  charming  the  book  in  which, 
as  Mrs.  Abell  and  already  old,  she  tells,  after  the 
lines  just  quoted,  of  her  lack  of  respect  and  her 
impudence,  and  pays  homage  to  the  Emperor's 
patience  !  A  woman's  narrative,  indeed,  flowing  at 
the  caprice  of  her  reminiscences,  badly  composed, 
badly  written,  but  full  of  delicate  feeling,  at  one  and 
the  same  time  melancholy  and  lively,  and  suggestive 
of  the  pretty  babble  of  a  child!  In  the  stern  and 
dreary  literature  of  Saint  Helena,  it  is  what  the 
green  site  of  The  Briars  was  in  its  grey  frame  of 
rocks — a  spot  where  bright  geraniums  and  pale  roses 
flourish  side  by  side,  to  the  refreshing  murmur  of 
a  brook. 

Some  English  critics,  resembling  Henry  in  their 
rejection  of  a  sympathetic  Napoleon,  have  recently 
expressed  their  doubts  of  Mrs.  Abell's  veracity  and 
of  the  Emperor's  kindly  indulgence  towards  a  frolic- 
some child.  But  O'Meara,  Las  Cases,  Montholon, 
Warden,  Monchenu,  Sturmer,  and  Balmain  corro- 
borate   Betsy's   anecdotes   and    sketches    in    various 


THE  EMPEROR  81 

passages.  She  is  further  supported  by  less  known 
narrators,  as  will  appear  from  the  following  pages 
written  by  an  Englishwoman,  the  wife  of  an  officer 
of  the  53rd,  the  regiment  which  preceded  the  66th 
at  Deadwood  camp  : — 

"  My  first  introduction  to  Bonaparte  was  in  the 
island  of  Saint  Helena,  at  the  place  called  The  Briars, 
in  the  month  of  December,  181 5,  about  six  weeks 
after  his  arrival  at  the  island. 

"This  introduction  was  by  chance,  and  through 
the  means  of  two  young  and  lively  English  ladies, 
who  had  lately  returned  from  a  boarding-school  in 
England,  daughters  of  the  proprietor  of  The  Briars. 

"We  went,  by  invitation,  to  dine  at  The  Briars, 
where  Bonaparte  resided  for  some  weeks  after  his 
arrival,  until  the  house  at  Longwood  was  put  in 
order  and  prepared  for  his  reception.  I  was  walking 
with  my  little  daughter  (eight  years  of  age),  and  the 
two  young  ladies  before-mentioned,  in  the  garden 
before  The  Briars,  when  Bonaparte  came  forth  from 
a  tent  which  was  pitched  on  one  side  of  the  house, 
accompanied  by  his  secretary,  Count  Las  Cases. 

"  Bonaparte  was  a  little  man,  stout  and  corpulent, 
of  a  dark  olive  complexion,  fine  features,  eyes  of 
a  light  bluish  grey,  and,  when  not  speaking  or 
animated,  of  an  abstracted,  heavy  countenance.  But 
when  lighted  up  and  interested,  his  expression  was 
very  fine,  and  the  benevolence  of  his  smile  I  never 
saw  surpassed.  He  was  particularly  vain  of  a  small 
and  beautiful  hand,  and  handsome  little  feet  ;  as  vain 


82  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

nearly  (I  dare  say)  as  of  having  conquered  half  the 
universe.  Bonaparte  laid  a  great  stress  on  the 
beauty  of  hands  in  ladies,  and  frequently  inquired 
of  me,  during  our  residence  in  Saint  Helena,  respect- 
ing the  hands  of  the  ladies  he  had  not  seen  ;  and 
seemed  to  think  a  pretty  and  delicate  hand  the  ne 
phis  ultra  of  beauty  and  gentility. 

"  Napoleon  was  dressed,  on  the  day  of  my  first 
introduction  to  him,  in  a  green  coat,  silk  stockings, 
small  shoes,  large  square  gold  buckles,  and  a  cocked 
hat,  with  a  ribbon  of  some  order,  seen  through  the 
button-hole  of  his  coat. 

"  The  two  young  ladies,  who  were  respectively 
about  thirteen  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  were  quite 
familiar  with  the  ex-Emperor,  ran  playfully  towards 
him,  dragging  me  forward  by  the  hand,  and  saying 
to  him,  '  This  lady  is  the  mother  of  the  little  girl 
who  pleased  you  the  other  day  by  singing  Italian 
canzonets.' 

"  Upon  this  he  made  me  a  bow,  which  I  returned 
by  a  low  and  reverential  curtsey,  feeling,  at  the  same 
time,  a  little  confused  at  this  sudden  and  uncere- 
monious introduction. 

"'Madame,'  said  he,  'you  have  a  sprightly  little 
daughter  ;  where  did  she  learn  to  sing  the  Italian 
songs  ? ' 

"On  my  replying  that  I  had  taught  her  myself, 
he  said  '  BonV  He  then  asked  me  what  country- 
woman I  was? — 'English.' — 'Where  were  you 
educated?' — 'In     London.' — 'What     ship    did     you 


-  rMM< 


THE  EMPEROR  83 

come  out  in  to  Saint  Helena  ?  What  regiment  is 
your  husband  in  ?  And  what  rank  has  he  in  the 
army?'  And  a  variety  of  like  questions,  as  quick 
as  possible,  did  Bonaparte  make  to  me,  and  all  in 
Italian.  All  this  time  the  two  young  ladies  and  my 
little  daughter  were  running  to  and  fro  around  us, 
and  chattering  to  the  Great  Hero,  who  seemed  to 
delight  much  in  their  lively  and  unsophisticated 
manners.  .  .  ." 

After  the  departure  of  Napoleon  from  The  Briars, 
the  English  could  not  so  easily  obtain  access  to  him. 
They  were  soon  obliged  to  apply  for  permission  to 
Hudson  Lowe,  who  arrived  at  Saint  Helena  a  few 
months  later.  Sometimes  the  Governor  refused  to 
let  them  see  the  Emperor,  sometimes  he  discouraged 
their  curiosity  by  searching  questions  and  menacing 
admonitions:  "Why  were  they  so  anxious  to  go  to 
Longwood  ?  Would  they  give  their  word  of  honour 
that  they  were  not  the  bearers  of  any  secret  message 
for  General  Bonaparte  ?  Were  they  aware  that  to 
deliver  him  clandestinely  a  letter,  pamphlet,  or  news- 
paper, to  afford  him  any  assistance  in  communicat- 
ing with  the  outside  world,  or  even  to  show  him 
undue  deference,  to  address  him  as  Sire,  for  instance, 
rendered  them  liable  to  immediate  expulsion  from 
the  island  or  to  imprisonment  ?  " 

Thus  treated  as  suspicious  characters,  many 
became  alarmed  and,  finally,  considered  it  prudent 
to  abandon  their  intention. 

Moreover,    Hudson    Lowe's  authorisation,    which 


84  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

took  the  shape  of  a  pass,  only  admitted  them  to  the 
enclosure  of  Longwood.  They  could  roam  for  hours 
and  even  days,  in  this  enclosure,  without  once  seeing 
Napoleon.  He  hardly  ever  left  his  apartments,  and, 
at  all  events,  rarely  went  beyond  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  his  house. 

In  order  to  contemplate  "the  extraordinary 
man,"  Englishmen  were  obliged  to  solicit  the 
honour  of  being  presented  to  him,  through  the 
medium  of  Count  Bertrand.  The  reply  was  not 
always  that  desired.  The  Emperor,  however,  con- 
sented readily  enough  to  receive  the  dignitaries 
and  important  officials  who  passed  through  Saint 
Helena,  officers  of  mark  or  of  high  rank,  explorers 
and  learned  men,  every  one  in  fact  from  whom 
even  the  Governor  hardly  dared  withhold  his 
permission. 

Thus,  audience  was  granted  to  Lord  Amherst 
notably,  and  to  Captain  Basil  Hall.  The  visits  of 
that  nobleman  and  of  that  distinguished  sailor  to 
Longwood  only  preceded  that  of  the  66th  by  a  few 
weeks.  They  have  been  recorded  and  will  be 
related  presently.  Maitland,  Warden,  and  Mrs. 
Abell  would  suffice,  at  a  pinch,  to  bring  out  in 
relief  the  malevolence  of  the  sketch  at  which  Henry 
is  to  try  his  hand  later.  But,  were  he  still  alive, 
he  would  not  fail  to  urge  that  the  Napoleon  seen 
by  him  at  Longwood  might  differ  in  appearance, 
in  countenance,  and  in  attitude  from  the  Napoleon 
of  The  Briars,  of  the  Northumberland,  and  of  the 


THE  EMPEROR  85 

Bellerophon.  It  is  well  to  hear,  on  the  Emperor's 
side,  Englishmen  who  saw  him  at  the  same  period 
and  in  the  same  place  as  the  assistant-surgeon. 

Lord  Amherst  stopped  at  Saint  Helena  on  his 
return  from  an  Embassy  extraordinary  to  China. 
He  was  received  by  Napoleon  on  July  1st,  18 17, 
and  on  being  shown  into  his  presence  declared  : 
"  My  great  desire  for  twenty  years  has  been  to  see 
you."  As  O'Meara  tells  us,  the  Emperor  then 
began  to  speak  of  his  present  situation,  to  describe 
his  loneliness,  and  his  sad  and  sedentary  life.  After- 
wards, wishing  to  explain  his  physical  inactivity 
and  his  dislike  for  crossing  the  boundary  of  Long- 
wood,  he  asked:  "Would  you,  my  Lord,  go  out 
under  the  restriction  of  not  saying  more  than  '  how 
do  you  do  ?  '  to  any  person  you  met  unless  in  the 
presence  of  a  British  officer  ?  It  is  true  that  the 
Governor  has  removed  this  prohibition,  but  he  may 
impose  it  again,  as  his  caprice  dictates.  Would 
you  go  out  under  the  restriction  of  not  being  able 
to  move  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  of  the  road  ? 
Would  you  stir  out  under  the  obligation  of  coming 
in  again  at  six  oclock  in  the  evening,  or  otherwise 
run  the  risk  of  being  stopped  by  sentinels  at  the 
gates?"  Lord  Amherst — still  according  to  O'Meara 
— is  said  to  have  replied  :  "  I  should  do  as  you  do  ; 
I  should  not  leave  my  room." 

He  subsequently  denied  having  uttered  these 
words  of  approbation,  but  in  a  somewhat  half- 
hearted   manner,    and — the    circumstance    calls    for 


86  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

attention — at  the  request  of  Hudson  Lowe,  after 
the  Emperor's  death,  when  the  Governor  began 
to  experience  disgrace,  and  to  see  the  tide  of 
public  opinion  in  his  own  country  turn  against 
him. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  little  is  known,  one  must  admit, 
of  a  conversation  which  lasted  over  an  hour. 

But  Lord  Amherst  had  come  to  Longwood  with 
a  fairly  numerous  suite.  When  the  Ambassador's 
audience  was  over,  he  first  introduced  Henry  Ellis, 
the  secretary  of  the  Embassy,  to  Napoleon  ;  then, 
eight  other  Englishmen  together — in  all,  nine  people, 
of  whom  three  have  related  their  impressions  : 
Henry  Ellis,  the  naval  surgeon,  MacLeod,  and 
Dr.  Abel. 

The  first  gives  the  following  account  : — 

"  Although,  like  others,  I  was  familiar  with  the 
details  of  Bonaparte's  present  situation,  and  might, 
therefore,  be  supposed  to  have  become  saturated 
with  those  sentiments  of  surprise,  which  such  an 
extraordinary  reverse  of  fortune  was  calculated  to 
excite,  I  must  confess  that  I  could  boast  but  little 
self-possession  on  entering  the  presence  of  a  man 
who  had  been  at  once  the  terror  and  wonder  of  the 
civilised  world.  The  absence  of  attendants,  and 
the  other  circumstances  of  high  station,  did  not 
seem  to  me  to  have  affected  his  individual  greatness  • 
however  elevated  his  rank  had  been,  his  actions 
had  been  still  beyond  it.  Even  the  mighty  weapons 
which    he    had   wielded  were    light    to    his    gigantic 


THE  EMPEROR  87 

strength  ;  the  splendour  of  a  court,  the  pomp,  discip- 
line, and  number  of  his  armies,  sufficient  to  have 
constituted  the  personal  greatness  of  an  hereditary 
monarch,  scarcely  added  to  the  effect  produced  by 
the  tremendous,  but  fortunately  ill-directed,  energies 
of  his  mind.  Their  absence,  therefore,  did  not 
diminish  the  influence  of  his  individuality.  I  do 
not  know  that  I  ever  before  felt  myself  in  the 
presence  of  a  mind  so  much  differing  from  mine, 
not  only  in  degree,  but  in  nature  ;  and  could  have 
had  but  little  disposition  to  gratify  curiosity  by 
inquiries  into  the  motives  which  had  guided  his 
conduct  in  the  eventful  transactions  of  his  life.  I 
came  prepared  to  listen  and  recollect,  not  to 
question  or  speculate. 

"  Lord  Amherst  having  presented  me,  Napoleon 
began  by  saying  that  my  name  was  not  unknown 
to  him  ;  that  he  understood  I  had  been  at  Con- 
stantinople, and  had  a  faint  recollection  of  some 
person  of  my  name  having  been  employed  in 
Russia.  I,  in  reply,  said  that  I  had  been  at 
Constantinople  on  my  way  to  Persia.  '  Yes,'  said 
he,  '  it  was  1  who  showed  you  the  way  to  that 
country.  Eh  bien,  comment  se  porte  mon  ami  le 
Shah  ?  What  have  the  Russians  been  doing  lately 
in  that  quarter  ?  '  On  my  informing  him  that  the 
result  of  the  last  war  had  been  the  cession  of 
all  the  territory  in  the  military  occupation  of  their 
troops,  he  said,  '  Yes,  Russia  is  the  power  now 
most    to    be    dreaded  :    Alexander    may   have    what- 


88  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

ever  army  he  pleases.  Unlike  the  French  and 
English,  the  subjects  of  the  Russian  Empire  improve 
their  condition  by  becoming  soldiers.  If  I  called 
on  a  Frenchman  to  quit  his  country,  I  required  him 
to  abandon  his  happiness.  The  Russian,  on  the 
contrary,  is  a  slave  while  a  peasant,  and  becomes 
free  and  respectable  when  a  soldier.  A  Frenchman, 
leaving  his  country,  always  changes  for  the  worse, 
while  Germany,  France,  and  Italy  are  all  superior 
to  the  native  country  of  the  Russians.  Their  im- 
mense bodies  of  Cossacks  are  also  formidable  ;  their 
mode  of  travelling  resembles  that  of  the  Bedouins  of 
the  desert.  They  advance  with  confidence  into  the 
most  unknown  regions.  ...  If  Russia  organises 
Poland  she  will  be  irresistible.   ..." 

Thereupon,  Napoleon  left  the  empire  of  the 
Czars  and  turned  abruptly  to  English  politics,  while 
Ellis  and  Lord  Amherst  listened  with  more  rapt 
attention.  According  to  him,  England  ought  not 
to  seek  to  become  a  great  military  power,  since 
her  army  only  numbered  40,000  men,  and  she 
would  always  remain  on  that  account  inferior 
to  several  nations.  She  should  devote  all  her 
resources  to  her  fleet.  It  was  a  mistake  on  her 
part  to  ally  herself  to  Russia,  Austria  and  Prussia, 
for  only  these  three  States  had  benefited  by  the 
European  conflict,  and  the  treaties  of  18 15.  "In 
sacrificing  maritime  affairs,"  said  the  Emperor, 
"you  were  acting  like  Francis  1.  at  the  battle  of 
Pavia,   whose  General    had    made  an  excellent   dis- 


NAPOLEON    AT    SAINT    HELENA. 
From  a  Drawing  by  Captain  Barnes  (/S/7).] 


THE  EMPEROR  89 

position  of  his  army,  and  had  placed  forty-five  pieces 
of   cannon   (an   unheard-of   battery  at  that  time)  in 
a    situation    that    must    have    secured    the    victory. 
Francis,     however,     his    grand   sabre    a    la     main, 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  gendarmerie  and 
household    troops,    between    the    battery    and    the 
enemy,  and    thereby  lost   the  advantage  his    superi- 
ority   of    artillery   gave    him  ;    thus,    seduced  by    a 
temporary  success,  you  are  masking  the  only  battery 
you  possess,    your    naval  pre-eminence.     While  that 
remains,  you  may  blockade  all  Europe.      I  well  know 
the   effect    of    blockade.     With    two    small    wooden 
machines,    you    distress   a   line    of  coast,    and    place 
a   country   in  the  situation  of   a   body  rubbed    over 
with  oil,  and  thus  deprived  of   natural  perspiration. 
I  am  now  suffering  in  my  face  from  this  obstruction 
to   perspiration,   and  blockade    has   the    same    effect 
upon    a    nation.     What    have    you    gained    by    the 
possession    of    my    person,    but    an    opportunity    of 
exhibiting  an  example  of  ungenerousness  ?  " 

The  Emperor  spoke  for  about  half  an  hour. 
Ellis  found  him  eloquent  and  persuasive,  but 
somewhat  hurried  in  his  delivery,  which  was 
almost  equal  in  rapidity  to  the  succession  of  his 
thoughts. 

The  tendency  in  London  was  to  depict  him 
as  labouring  under  grotesque  obesity,  and  carica- 
turists drew  him  with  a  huge  belly.  "Considering 
his  age,"  states  the  secretary  of  the  Embassy,  "he 
was  not  unusually  corpulent.  ..." 


90  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  His  manner  was  pleasing  and  had  a  mixture 
of  simplicity  and  conscious  superiority.  .   .  ." 

Napoleon  brought  the  conversation  to  an  end 
by  a  wave  of  the  hand,  and  gave  orders  for  the 
group  of  visitors  still  waiting  in  the  antechamber 
to  be  ushered  in. 

Count  Bertrand  introduced  Lord  Amherst's  son, 
a  youth  ;  the  private  secretary,  H  ay  ne  ;  the  naval 
captain,  Murray  Maxwell  ;  the  surgeon,  MacLeod  ; 
Lieutenant  Cook,  of  the  Marines  ;  Dr.  Abel  ; 
Dr.   Lynn  ;  and  the  clergyman,   Griffiths. 

All  these  Englishmen  were  returning  from  the 
Far  East  with  the  Ambassador,  after  a  somewhat 
unfortunate  mission  to  Pekin.  The  sovereign  of 
China  had  refused  to  receive  them,  for  reasons  of 
etiquette,  and  near  the  Sunda  Straits  they  had  lost 
their  principal  ship,  the  Alceste. 

Count  Bertrand  placed  them  round  the  Emperor 
in  a  circle,  and  Lord  Amherst — MacLeod  relates — 
began  the  series  of  presentations  with  Captain 
Maxwell,  whom  Napoleon,  with  an  air  of  perfect  good 
humour,  reproached  for  having  formerly  captured  the 
French  vessel,  La  Pomoiie  :  "  You  did  not  behave 
very  well  to  me  on  that  occasion,"  he  said.  "Your 
Government  must  not  blame  you  for  the  loss  of  the 
Alceste,  for  you  have  taken  one  of  my  frigates." 

Next,  he  congratulated  the  Ambassador's  son 
on  having  made  so  lengthy  a  voyage  at  so  tender 
an  age,  joked  with  him  about  the  Chinamen  with 
their  pig-tails,  and  spoke  in  flattering    terms  of  his 


THE  EMPEROR  91 

mother.  MacLeod,  who  came  third,  was  questioned 
as  to  the  nature  and  duration  of  his  service.  Dr. 
Abel,  the  naturalist  of  the  expedition,  was  asked 
by  the  Emperor  whether  he  knew  Sir  Joseph 
Banks,  "  whose  name  was  a  passport  in  France, 
and  whose  wishes  were  always  attended  to,  even 
during  war  "  ;  Lieutenant  Cook,  whether  he  was 
a  descendant  of  the  famous  navigator  ;  Dr.  Lynn, 
at  what  University  he  had  studied.  "At  Edin- 
burgh," replied  the  last — "Then,  you  are  probably  a 
Brunonian  in  practice.  Do  you  bleed  and  prescribe 
as  much  mercury  as  our  Saint  Helena  doctors?" 
Turning  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Griffiths,  Napoleon  con- 
tinued by  maliciously  inquiring  :  "  Have  you  found 
out  what  religion  the  Chinese  profess?"  —  "It 
is  somewhat  difficult  to  say  ;  but  it  seems  a  sort 
of  polytheism."  The  Emperor  did  not  appear  to 
understand  this  word,  pronounced  in  the  English 
manner,  and  Count  Bertrand  intervened  to  explain  : 
"Pluralité  des  Dieux  I"  —  "Ah!  la  pluralité  des 
Dieux  I  And  do  they  believe  in  the  immortality 
of  the  soul?" — "I  think  they  have  some  idea  of 
a  future  state."  Napoleon  smiled  at  such  vague 
information,  and  said:  "Well,  when  you  go  home, 
you  must  get  a  good  living  ;  I  wish  you  may  be 
made  a  prebendary,  sir."  Two  or  three  questions  to 
Hayne,  the  secretary,  concluded  the  interview,  where- 
upon the  Embassy  was  dismissed  and  went  away  much 
Gratified,  each  one  of  its  members  bearinp:  with  him 
the  recollection  of  some  gracious  remark. 


92  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

MacLeod  here  makes  an  odd  reflection,  which 
shows  the  prejudices  that  certain  Englishmen  brought 
to  Longwood,  when  they  had  previously  called  at 
Plantation  House  :  "  Although  there  was  nothing 
descending  in  Bonaparte's  manner,  yet  it  was 
affable  and  polite  ;  and,  whatever  may  be  his 
general  habit,  he  can  behave  himself  very  prettily 
if  he  pleases." 

This  language,  which  suggests  that  of  a  prison 
inspector  surprised  at  having  to  give  a  good  mark 
to  an  unruly  inmate,  is  evidently  inspired  by 
Hudson  Lowe's  information.  In  the  Governor's 
eyes,  Napoleon  is  a  mere  prisoner,  and  a  prisoner 
whose  conduct  leaves  a  great  deal  to  be  desired. 
Anybody  proposing  to  pay  him  a  visit  is  always 
warned  that  he  is  about  to  see  a  dangerous  fellow. 

The  accounts  of  Ellis  and  MacLeod  are  com- 
pleted by  Dr.  Abel,  who  records  his  impression 
in  a  somewhat  original  page.  He  pays  no  heed  to 
the  conversation  that  took  place  at  the  interview, 
and  does  not  report  it.  What  interested  him  in 
the  Emperor  was  the  conformation  of  his  skull, 
the  width  of  his  thorax,  the  proportions  of  his  limbs, 
his  height,  bearing,  gait,  the  play  of  his  muscles 
and  the  expression  of  his  eyes.  Being  a  naturalist, 
he  observed  the  great  man  as  he  observed  the 
animals  which,  together  with  exotic  plants,  formed 
the  habitual  subject  of  his  studies.  He  describes 
him  as,  in  certain  places  of  his  book — Narrative  of 
a  Journey  in  the  Interior  of  China, — he  describes 


THE  EMPEROR  93 

such  and  such  a  mammifer  of  the  Chinese  fauna, 
the  python  of  Java,  or  the  orang-outang  of  Borneo. 
Let  not  the  reader  laugh  !  The  pen  of  this  precise 
and  circumstantial  scientist,  so  quick  to  grasp  shapes 
and  attitudes,  anatomical  details  and  physical  signs, 
traces  an  excellent,  a  very  life-like  portrait  of 
Napoleon. 

In  corroboration  of  Ellis — and,  indeed,  of  MacLeod 
also — Dr.  Abel  only  imputes  an  ordinary  degree  of 
stoutness  to  the  Emperor  :  "  Bonaparte's  person," 
he  writes,  "  has  nothing  of  that  morbid  fulness 
which  I  had  been  led  to  look  for.  On  the  contrary, 
I  scarcely  recollect  to  have  seen  a  form  more  expres- 
sive of  strength  and  even  of  vigour.  It  is  true  that 
he  was  very  large,  considering  his  height,  which 
is  about  5  feet  7  inches  ;  but  his  largeness  had 
nothing  of  unwieldiness.  The  fine  proportion  of 
his  limbs,  which  has  been  often  noticed,  was  still 
preserved.  His  legs,  although  very  muscular,  had 
the  exactest  symmetry.  His  whole  form,  indeed, 
was  so  closely  knit,  that  firmness  might  be  said  to 
be  its  striking  characteristic.  His  standing  posture 
had  a  remarkable  statue-like  fixedness  about  it, 
which  seemed  scarcely  to  belong  to  the  graceful 
ease  of  his  step.  The  most  remarkable  character 
of  his  countenance  was,  to  me,  its  variableness. 
Bonaparte  has  the  habit  of  earnestly  gazing  for 
a  few  seconds  upon  the  person  whom  he  is  about 
to  address,  and  whilst  thus  occupied  holds  his 
features    in    perfect    repose.      The    character    of    his 


94  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

countenance  in  this  state,  especially  when  viewed  in 
profile,  might  be  called  settled  design.  But  the 
instant  that  he  enters  into  conversation,  his  features 
express  any  force  or  kind  of  emotion  with  suddenness 
and  ease.  His  eye,  especially,  seems  not  only  to 
alter  its  expression,  but  its  colour.  I  am  sure,  had 
I  only  noticed  it  while  the  muscles  of  the  face,  and 
particularly  of  the  forehead,  were  in  play,  I  should 
have  called  it  a  very  dark  eye  ;  on  the  contrary, 
when  at  rest,  I  had  remarked  its  light  colour  and 
peculiar  flary  lustre.  Nothing,  indeed,  could  better 
prove  its  changeable  character  than  the  difference 
of  opinion  which  occurred  amongst  us  respecting  its 
colour.  Although  each  person  of  the  Embassy 
naturally  fixed  his  attention  on  Napoleon's  counten- 
ance, all  did  not  agree  on  the  colour  of  his  eyes." 

The  impressions  of  Ellis,  MacLeod  and  Abel, 
relating  to  Napoleon,  lead  naturally  to  the  record — 
connected  with  them  by  the  circumstances  of  its  origin 
— that  Captain  Basil  Hall  has  left  of  his  visit  to  Long- 
wood.  None  is  so  interesting,  none  depicts  so  well 
Napoleon's  appearance  and  gestures,  and,  above  all, 
his  manner  of  conducting  verbal  intercourse.  We 
realise  here  how  the  Emperor  could,  when  inclined 
to  do  so,  charm  and  fascinate  his  interlocutor. 
Indeed,  he  had  some  conversational  talent,  though 
by  and  by  we  shall  hear  Henry  express  a  somewhat 
contrary  opinion. 

Captain  Basil  Hall,  of  His  Majesty's  Navy,  had 
accompanied  the  Amherst  mission  to  China,  on  his 


THE  EMPEROR  95 

brig,  the  Lyra.  This  vessel  and  the  frigate,  the 
Alceste,  after  leaving  the  Gulf  of  Petchili,  explored 
the  coast  of  the  Corean  peninsula,  visited  the  un- 
discovered island  of  Loo-Choo,  and  finally  separated 
at  Manila  to  return  to  Europe  by  different  routes. 
Whilst  the  frigate  struck  against  a  rock  at  the  entry  to 
the  Sea  of  Java,  foundered,  and  had  to  be  abandoned 
by  all  on  board,  the  brig  crossed  the  Straits  of 
Malacca  and  reached  Bengal  ;  she  carried  despatches 
to  Calcutta,  then  to  Madras.  She  was  detained  in 
those  two  ports,  where  she  lost  considerable  time. 
So  that,  in  spite  of  their  misadventure,  the  ship- 
wrecked passengers  of  the  Alceste,  who  had  been 
picked  up  and  were  returning  to  England  on  board 
a  vessel  of  the  East  India  Company,  touched  at  Saint 
Helena  before  her. 

Captain  Basil  Hall  landed  at  Jamestown  on 
August  nth,  1817.  He  immediately  solicited  an 
audience  that  had  been  his  heart's  desire  for 
several  months.  He  saw  Count  Bertrand  and 
Napoleon's  physician,  Dr.  O'Meara,  begged  them  to 
intercede  on  his  behalf,  and  anxiously  awaited  the 
result,  for  a  whole  afternoon,  at  Longwood.  The 
Emperor  did  not  seem  disposed  to  receive  him, 
when  the  idea  occurred  to  the  sailor  of  referring  to 
his  father,  the  Scotch  scientist,  James  Hall,  who  had 
stayed  at  Brienne  as  a  visitor,  while  the  young 
Bonaparte  was  there  as  a  pupil. 

The  name,  recalling  years  upon  which  Napoleon 
now    appeared    to    look    back   with    pleasure,    had    a 


g6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

magical  effect.  On  the  13th  of  August,  the 
Captain  obtained  the  coveted  interview.  When 
he  entered  the  room  in  which  the  Emperor  was 
awaiting  him,  he  found  him  absorbed  as  though  lost 
in  memories  : — 

"  I  saw  Bonaparte  standing  before  the  fire  with 
his  head  leaning  on  his  hand,  and  his  elbow  resting 
on  the  chimney-piece.  He  looked  up,  and  came 
forward  two  paces,  returning  my  salutation  with  a 
careless  sort  of  bow,  or  nod.  His  first  question  was 
'  What  is  your  name  ?  '  and,  upon  my  answering,  he 
said,  '  Ah, — Hall — I  knew  your  father  when  I  was 
at  the  Military  College  of  Brienne.  I  remember  him 
perfectly — he  was  fond  of  mathematics — he  did  not 
associate  much  with  the  younger  part  of  the  scholars, 
but  rather  with  the  priests  and  professors,  in  another 
part  of  the  town  from  that  in  which  we  lived.'  He 
then  paused  for  an  instant,  and  as  he  seemed  to 
expect  me  to  speak,  I  remarked,  that  I  had  often 
heard  my  father  mention  the  circumstance  of  his 
having  been  at  Brienne  during  the  period  referred 
to  ;  but  had  never  supposed  it  possible  that  a  private 
individual  could  be  remembered  at  such  a  distance 
of  time,  the  interval  of  which  had  been  filled  with  so 
many  important  events.  'Oh  no,' exclaimed  he,  'it 
is  not  in  the  least  surprising  ;  your  father  was  the 
first  Englishman  I  ever  saw,  and  I  have  recollected 
him  all  my  life  on  that  account.' 

"In  a  few  seconds,  after  making  this  remark, 
Bonaparte     asked     with     a     playful     expression     of 


THE  EMPEROR 


97 


countenance,  as  if  amused  with  what  he  was  saying, 
'  Have  you  ever  heard  your  father  speak  of  me  ?  ' 
I  replied  instantly,  'Very  often.'  Upon  which  he 
said,  in  a  quick  sharp  tone,  '  What  does  he  say  of 
me  ?  '  The  manner  in  which  this  was  spoken  seemed 
to  demand  an  immediate  reply,  and  I  answered  that  I 
had  often  heard  him  express  great  admiration  for  the 
encouragement  he  had  always  given  to  science  while 
he  was  Emperor  of  the  French.  He  laughed  and 
nodded  repeatedly,  as  if  gratified  by  what  was  said. 

"His  next  question  was  :  '  Did  you  ever  hear 
your  father  express  any  desire  to  see  me  ?  '  I  replied 
that  I  had  heard  him  often  say  there  was  no  man 
alive  so  well  worth  seeing,  and  that  he  had  strictly 
enjoined  me  to  wait  upon  him  if  ever  I  should  have 
an  opportunity.  '  Very  well,'  retorted  Bonaparte, 
'  if  he  really  considers  me  such  a  curiosity,  and  is 
so  desirous  to  see  me,  why  does  he  not  come  to 
Saint  Helena  for  that  purpose  ?  '  I  was  at  first  at 
a  loss  to  know  whether  this  question  was  put  seriously 
or  ironically  :  but  as  I  saw  him  waiting  for  an  answer, 
I  said  my  father  had  too  many  occupations  and 
duties.  '  Does  he  fill  a  public  station  ?  '  I  told 
him  none  of  an  official  nature  ;  but  that  he  was 
President  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh,  the 
duties  of  which  claimed  a  good  deal  of  his  time  and 
attention.  This  observation  gave  rise  to  a  series  of 
inquiries  respecting  the  constitution  of  the  Society 
in  question.  He  made  me  describe  the  duties  of  all 
the  office-bearers  from  the  president  to  the  secretary, 
7 


98  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

and  the  manner  in  which  scientific  papers  were 
brought  before  the  Society's  notice  ;  he  seemed  much 
struck,  I  thought,  and  rather  amused  with  the  custom 
of  discussing  subjects  publicly  at  the  meetings  in 
Edinburgh.  When  I  told  him  the  number  of 
members  was  several  hundreds,  he  shook  his  head, 
and  said  :  '  All  these  cannot  surely  be  men  of 
science  !  '  When  he  had  satisfied  himself  on  this 
topic,  he  reverted  to  the  subject  of  my  father,  and, 
after  seeming  to  make  a  calculation,  observed,  '  Your 
father  must,  I  think,  be  my  senior  by  nine  or  ten 
years — at  least  nine — but  I  think  ten.  Tell  me,  is 
it  not  so  ?  '  I  answered,  that  he  was  very  nearly 
correct.  Upon  which  he  laughed  and  turned  almost 
completely  round  on  his  heel,  nodding  his  head 
several  times.  I  did  not  presume  to  ask  him  where 
the  joke  lay,  but  imagined  he  was  pleased  with  the 
correctness  of  his  computation.  He  followed  up  his 
inquiries  by  begging  to  know  what  number  of 
children  my  father  had,  and  did  not  quit  this  branch 
of  the  subject  till  he  had  obtained  a  correct  list  of 
the  ages  and  occupation  of  the  whole  family.  He 
then  asked,  'How  long  were  you  in  France?'  and 
on  my  saying  I  had  not  yet  visited  that  country,  he 
desired  to  know  where  I  had  learned  French.  I  said, 
from  Frenchmen  on  board  various  ships  of  war. 
'Were  you  the  prisoner  amongst  the  French,'  he 
asked,  '  or  were  they  your  prisoners  ?  '  I  told  him 
my  teachers  were  French  officers  captured  by  the 
ships    I    had    served    in.       He    then    desired    me    to 


THE  EMPEROR  99 

describe  the  details  of  the  chase  and  capture  of  the 
ships  we  had  made  prize  of;  but  soon  seeing  that 
this  subject  afforded  no  point  of  any  interest,  he  cut 
it  short  by  asking  me  about  the  Lyras  voyage  to 
the  Eastern  seas,  from  which  I  was  now  returning. 
This  topic  proved  a  new  and  fertile  source  of  interest, 
and  he  engaged  in  it,  accordingly,  with  the  most 
astonishing  degree  of  eagerness. 

"  The  opportunities  which  his  elevated  station  had 
given  Napoleon  of  obtaining  information  on  almost 
every  subject,  and  his  vast  power  of  rapid  and  correct 
observation,  had  rendered  it  a  matter  of  so  much 
difficulty  to  place  before  him  anything  totally  new, 
that  I  considered  myself  fortunate  in  having  some- 
thing to  speak  of  beyond  the  mere  commonplaces 
of  a  formal  interview.  Bonaparte  has  always  been 
supposed  to  have  taken  a  particular  interest  in  Eastern 
affairs  ;  and  from  the  avidity  with  which  he  seemed 
to  devour  the  information  I  gave  him  about  Loo-Choo, 
China,  and  the  adjacent  countries,  it  was  impossible 
to  doubt  the  sincerity  of  his  Oriental  predilections. 
A  notion  also  prevails,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  that  his 
geographical  knowledge  of  those  distant  regions  was 
rather  loose — a  charge  which,  by  the  way,  Bonaparte 
probably  shares  with  most  people.  I  was,  therefore, 
not  a  little  surprised  to  discover  his  ideas  upon  the 
relative  situation  of  the  countries  in  the  China  and 
Japan  seas  to  be  very  distinct  and  precise.  On  my 
naming  the  island  of  Loo-Choo  to  him,  he  shook  his 
head  as  if  he  had  never  heard  of  it  before,  and  made 


ioo  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

me  tell  him  how  it  bore  from  Canton,  and  what  was 
the  distance.  He  next  asked  its  bearing  with  respect 
to  Japan  and  Manila,  by  the  intersection  of  which 
three  lines,  in  his  imagination,  he  appeared  to  have 
settled  its  position  pretty  accurately,  since  every 
observation  he  made  afterwards  seemed  to  imply 
a  recollection  of  this  particular  point.  For  instance, 
when  he  spoke  of  the  probability  of  the  manners  and 
institutions  of  the  Loo-Chooans  having  been  in- 
fluenced  by  the  interference  of  other  countries,  he 
drew  correct  inferences  as  far  as  geographical  situation 
was  concerned.  Having  settled  where  the  island  lay, 
he  cross-questioned  me  about  the  inhabitants  with 
a  closeness — I  may  call  it  a  severity  of  investigation 
— which  far  exceeds  everything  I  have  met  with  in 
any  other  instance.  His  questions  were  not  by  any 
means  put  at  random,  but  each  one  had  some  definite 
reference  to  that  which  preceded  it  or  was  about  to 
follow.  I  felt  in  a  short  time  so  completely  exposed 
to  his  view,  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
have  concealed  or  falsified  the  smallest  particular. 
Such,  indeed,  was  the  rapidity  of  his  apprehension  of 
the  subjects  which  interested  him,  and  the  astonishing 
ease  with  which  he  arranged  and  generalised  the  few 
points  of  information  I  gave  him,  that  he  sometimes 
outstripped  my  narrative,  saw  the  conclusion  I  was 
coming  to  before  I  spoke  it,  and  fairly  robbed  me 
of  my  story. 

"  Several  circumstances,  however,   respecting  the 
Loo-Choo  people,  surprised  even  him  a  good  deal  ; 


THE  EMPEROR  101 

and  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  more  than 
once  completely  perplexed,  and  unable  to  account  for 
the  phenomena  which  I  related.  Nothing  struck  him 
so  much  as  their  having  no  arms.  '  Point  d'armes  !  ' 
he  exclaimed  ;  '  c'est-à-dire  point  de  canons — ils  ont 
des  fusils?'  'Not  even  muskets,'  I  replied.  'Eh 
bien  donc — des  lances,  ou,  au  moins,  des  arcs  et  des 
flèches  ?  '  I  told  him  they  had  neither  one  nor  other. 
'  Ni  poignards?'  cried  he,  with  increasing  vehemence. 
'No,  none.'  'Mais!'  said  Bonaparte,  clenching  his 
fist,  and  raising  his  voice  to  a  loud  pitch,  '  Mais  sans 
armes,  comment  se  bat-on  ?  ' 

"  I  could  only  reply,  that  as  far  as  we  had  been 
able  to  discover,  they  had  never  had  any  wars,  but 
remained  in  a  state  of  internal  and  external  peace. 
1  No  wars  !  '  cried  he,  with  a  scornful  and  incredulous 
expression,  as  if  the  existence  of  any  people  under  the 
sun  without  wars  was  a  monstrous  anomaly. 

"  In  like  manner,  but  without  being  so  much 
moved,  he  seemed  to  discredit  the  account  I  gave 
him  of  their  having  no  money,  and  of  their  setting  no 
value  upon  our  silver  or  gold  coins.  After  hearing 
these  facts  stated,  he  mused  for  some  time,  muttering 
to  himself  in  a  low  tone,  '  Not  know  the  use  of  money 
— are  careless  about  gold  and  silver  !  '  Then  looking 
up,  he  asked  sharply,  '  How,  then,  did  you  contrive  to 
pay  these  strangest  of  all  people  for  the  bullocks  and 
other  good  things  which  they  seem  to  have  sent  on 
board  in  such  quantities  ?  '  When  I  informed  him 
that  we  could  not  prevail  upon  the  people  of  Loo-Choo 


io2  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

to  receive  payment  of  any  kind,  he  expressed  great 
surprise  at  their  liberality,  and  made  me  repeat  to 
him  twice  the  list  of  things  with  which  we  were 
supplied  by  these  hospitable  islanders. 

"  I  had  carried  with  me,  at  Count  Bertrand's 
suggestion,  some  drawings  of  the  scenery  and  costume 
of  Loo-Choo  and  Corea,  which  I  found  of  use  in 
describing  the  inhabitants.  When  we  were  speaking 
of  Corea,  he  took  one  of  the  drawings  from  me,  and 
running  his  eye  over  the  different  parts,  repeated  to 
himself,  '  An  old  man  with  a  very  large  hat,  and  long 
white  beard,  ha  ! — a  long  pipe  in  his  hand — a  Chinese 
mat — a  Chinese  dress — a  man  near  him  writing — all 
very  good,  and  distinctly  drawn.'  He  then  required 
me  to  tell  him  where  the  different  parts  of  these 
dresses  were  manufactured,  and  what  were  the 
different  prices — questions  I  could  not  answer.  He 
wished  to  be  informed  as  to  the  state  of  agriculture  in 
Loo-Choo — whether  they  ploughed  with  horses  or 
bullocks — how  they  managed  their  crops,  and  whether 
or  not  their  fields  were  irrigated  like  those  in  China, 
where,  as  he  understood,  the  system  of  artificial 
watering  was  carried  to  a  great  extent.  .  The  climate, 
the  aspect  of  the  country,  the  structure  of  the  houses 
and  boats,  the  fashion  of  their  dresses,  even  to  the 
minutest  particular  in  the  formation  of  their  straw 
sandals  and  tobacco  pouches,  occupied  his  attention. 
He  appeared  considerably  amused  at  the  pertinacity 
with  which  they  kept  their  women  out  of  our  sight; 
but  repeatedly  expressed  himself  much  pleased  with 


THE  EMPEROR  103 

Captain  Maxwell's  moderation  and  good  sense,  in 
forbearing  to  urge  any  point  upon  the  natives  which 
was  disagreeable  to  them,  or  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
their  country.  He  asked  many  questions  respecting 
the  religion  of  China  and  Loo-Choo,  and  appeared 
well  aware  of  the  striking  resemblance  between  the 
appearance  of  the  Catholic  priests  and  the  Chinese 
bonzes  ;  a  resemblance  which,  as  he  remarked,  extends 
to  many  parts  of  the  religious  ceremonies  of  both. 
Here,  however,  as  he  also  observed,  the  comparison 
stops  ;  since  the  bonzes  of  China  exert  no  influence 
whatever  over  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  never 
interfere  in  their  temporal  or  eternal  concerns.  In 
Loo-Choo,  where  everything  else  is  so  praiseworthy, 
the  low  state  of  the  priesthood  is  as  remarkable  as 
in  the  neighbouring  continent  ;  an  anomaly  which 
Bonaparte  dwelt  upon  for  some  time  without  coming 
to  any  satisfactory  explanation. 

"  With  the  exception  of  a  momentary  fit  of  scorn 
and  incredulity  when  told  that  the  Loo-Chooans  had 
no  wars  or  weapons  of  destruction,  he  was  in  high 
good-humour  while  examining  me  on  these  topics. 
The  cheerfulness,  I  may  almost  call  it  familiarity,  with 
which  he  conversed,  not  only  put  me  quite  at  ease 
in  his  presence,  but  made  me  repeatedly  forget  that 
respectful  attention  with  which  it  was  my  duty,  as 
well  as  my  wish  on  every  account,  to  treat  the  fallen 
monarch.  The  interest  he  took  in  topics  which  were 
then  uppermost  in  my  thoughts,  was  a  natural  source 
of  fresh  animation  in  my  own  case  :  and  I  was  thrown 


io4  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

off  my  guard  more  than  once,  and  unconsciously- 
addressed  him  with  an  unwarrantable  degree  °f 
freedom.  When,  however,  I  perceived  my  error,  and, 
of  course,  checked  myself,  he  good-humouredly 
encouraged  me  to  go  on  in  the  same  strain,  in  a 
manner  so  sincere  and  altogether  so  kindly,  that  I 
was  in  the  next  instant  as  much  at  my  ease  as  before. 

"  '  What  do  these  Loo-Choo  friends  of  yours  know 
of  other  countries  ?  '  he  asked.  I  told  him  they  were 
acquainted  only  with  China  and  Japan.  '  Yes,  yes,' 
continued  he  ;  '  but  of  Europe  ?  What  do  they  know 
of  us  ?  '  I  replied,  '  They  know  nothing  of  Europe  at 
all  ;  they  know  nothing  about  France  or  England  : 
neither,'  I  added,  'have  they  ever  heard  of  your 
Majesty.'  Bonaparte  laughed  heartily  at  this  extra- 
ordinary particular  in  the  history  of  Loo-Choo  ;  a  cir- 
cumstance, he  may  well  have  thought,  which  distin- 
guished it  from  every  other  corner  of  the  known  world. 

"  I  held  in  my  hand  a  drawing  of  Sulphur  Island, 
a  solitary  and  desolate  rock  in  the  midst  of  the  Japan 
sea.  He  looked  at  it  for  a  moment,  and  cried  out, 
'  Why,  this  is  Saint  Helena  itself!  .  .  .' 

"  Bonaparte  struck  me  as  differing  considerably 
from  the  pictures  and  busts  I  had  seen  of  him.  His 
face  and  figure  looked  much  broader  and  more  square, 
larger  indeed,  in  every  way,  than  any  representation 
I  had  met  with.  His  corpulency,  at  this  time  univers- 
ally reported  to  be  excessive,  was  by  no  means 
remarkable.  His  flesh  looked,  on  the  contrary,  firm 
and    muscular.     There    was    not    the    least    trace    of 


THE  EMPEROR  105 

colour  in  his  cheeks  ;  in  fact,  his  skin  was  more  like 
marble  than  ordinary  flesh.  Not  the  smallest  trace  of  a 
wrinkle  was  discernible  on  his  brow,  nor  an  approach 
to  a  furrow  on  any  part  of  his  countenance.  His 
health  and  spirits,  judging  from  appearances,  were 
excellent  ;  though  at  this  period  it  was  generally 
believed  in  England  that  he  was  fast  sinking  under 
a  complication  of  diseases,  and  that  his  spirits  were 
entirely  gone.  .  .  ." 

This  remark  of  Basil  Hall,  that  Napoleon  offered  an 
impression  of  good  health,  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1 8 1 7, 
also  occurs  in  the  accounts  of  Ellis,  MacLeod  and  Dr. 
Abel.  All  the  members  of  the  Amherst  Embassy, 
like  the  captain  of  the  Lyra,  were  impressed  by  the 
Emperor's  robust  looks.  He  felt  already,  however, 
the  effects  of  the  disease  to  which  he  was  to  succumb, 
though  no  outward  sign  yet  revealed  its  ravages. 

"  His  manner  of  speaking,"  says  Basil  Hall  in 
conclusion,  "was  rather  slow  than  otherwise,  and 
perfectly  distinct  :  he  waited  with  great  patience  and 
kindness  for  my  answers  to  his  questions,  and  a 
reference  to  Count  Bertrand  was  necessary  only  once 
during  the  whole  conversation.  The  brilliant  and 
sometimes  dazzling  expression  of  his  eyes  could  not  be 
overlooked.  It  was  not,  however,  a  permanent  lustre, 
for  it  was  only  remarkable  when  he  was  excited  by 
some  point  of  particular  interest.  It  is  impossible  to 
imagine  an  expression  of  more  entire  mildness,  I  may 
almost  call  it  of  benignity  and  kindliness,  than  that 
which    played    over    his    features    during    the    whole 


io6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

interview.  If,  therefore,  he  were  at  this  time  out  of 
health  and  in  low  spirits,  his  power  of  self-command 
must  have  been  even  more  extraordinary  than  is 
generally  supposed.  ..." 

Let  it  be  repeated,  the  Emperor  experienced 
physical  suffering.  He  also  suffered  mentally  to  an 
equal,  if  not  greater,  extent,  as  will  be  shown  later. 
But  after  having  heard  all  these  narratives,  let  us 
now  recapitulate  and  classify  the  information  that 
they  give  about  the  countenance,  demeanour,  speech 
and  gestures  of  Napoleon.  The  eight  preceding 
sketches,  thus  summed  up,  go  to  form  a  synthetic 
portrait,  of  which  one  may  safely  say  :  this  is  how  the 
captive  of  Saint  Helena  usually  struck  Englishmen. 

Being  tall  themselves,  as  a  rule,  they  were  inclined 
to  regard  him  as  very  short,  although  his  height  was 
about  5  feet  6  inches  ;  they  had  also  a  tendency  to 
consider  him  corpulent,  because  they  spring  from  a 
race  habitually  thin.  Their  statement  that  his  stout- 
ness was  moderate  is  the  more  remarkable. 

They  deem  his  body  powerfully  built,  well-propor- 
tioned, only  a  little  wide  in  the  shoulders  ;  his  feet, 
hands,  and  attachments  delicate  ;  his  -  leg  fine  and 
muscular  ;  his  gait  supple  and  easy. 

They  discover  in  him  neither  wrinkles,  nor  grey 
hairs.  Most  of  them  allude  to  his  pallor,  a  strange, 
peculiar  pallor,  that  their  epithets,  deadly,  and  mar- 
morean,  do  not,  one  feels,  succeed  in  defining. 

His  features,  at  first  sight,  disconcert  them.  They 
often  recognise  only  his  coldness  or  his  seventy  from 


THE  EMPEROR  107 

the  official  mask  or  the  inaccurate  popular  illustration 
that  they  have  in  their  mind's  eye.  But  when 
Napoleon  speaks  to  them,  his  impassive  face  imme- 
diately changes  to  the  most  expressive  and  bene- 
volent of  countenances  ;  his  eyes,  dark,  black  and 
impenetrable  a  moment  ago,  now  lighten,  shine, 
flash,  reflect  his  thoughts  and  sentiments,  and  reveal 
the  recesses  of  his  soul.  A  smile  of  irresistible  charm 
completes  the  conquest  of  the  stranger. 

The  Emperor  unites  simple  and  affable  manners 
with  an  air  of  natural  dignity  and  superiority. 

His  questions  put  his  listeners  at  ease;  they  deal 
with  subjects  that  concern  them  personally  :  their 
country,  family,  profession,  military  service,  scientific 
pursuits,  or  travels.  The  answers  offer  no  difficulty  ; 
he  awaits  them  patiently  enough,  as  a  rule,  and,  when 
the  conversation  takes  place  in  French,  he  makes 
allowance  for  his  interlocutors'  imperfect  knowledge  of 
that  language.  In  order  to  be  more  intelligible  to 
them,  he  himself  makes  an  effort  to  speak  slowly  ;  he 
is  not  always  successful,  especially  when  he  gives  vent 
to  his  rancour,  and  complains,  as  in  the  course  of  the 
audiences  of  Ellis  and  Lord  Amherst,  of  Hudson 
Lowe's  vexations  and  the  treatment  of  England. 

Such,  according  to  the  mass  of  documentary 
evidence,  is  the  Napoleon  of  the  Captivity,  with  the 
Englishmen  who  are  able  to  approach  him. 

Henry,  as  we  shall  now  see,  portrays  him  in  a 
different  manner. 

In  the  preface  to  his  account  of  the  visit  paid  by 


io8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  66th  to  Longwood,  his  ill-will  is  already  noticeable  ; 
it  becomes  obvious  immediately  the  assistant-surgeon 
broaches  the  actual  circumstances  of  his  narrative. 

Conducted  by  Count  Bertrand,  and  accompanied 
by  Baron  Gourgaud  and  Count  de  Montholon,  General 
Bingham  and  his  thirty-seven  officers  have  just 
crossed  the  threshold  of  the  drawing-room  in  which 
the  Emperor  receives  them.  Napoleon  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  apartment,  with  a  hat  under  his  arm. 
Dressed  in  a  dark  green  coat,  without  epaulets  or 
galloons,  ornamented  only  by  the  glittering  star  of  the 
Legion  of  Honour  and  gold  buttons  stamped  with  an 
equestrian  figure,  he  contrasts  with  the  bright  circle 
of  red  and  silver  uniforms  that  surrounds  him.  The 
remainder  of  his  attire  consists  of  white  breeches, 
white  silk  stockings,  and  shoes  with  gold  buckles 
of  an   oval  shape. 

"  Napoleon's  first  appearance  was  far  from  impos- 
ing," Henry  commences.  "  The  stature  was  short  and 
thick,  his  head  sunk  into  the  shoulders,  his  face  fat,  with 
large  folds  under  the  chin  ;  the  limbs  appeared  stout 
and  well-proportioned,  complexion  olive,  expression 
sinister,  forbidding,  and  rather  scowling..  .  .  .  On  the 
whole,  his  general  look  was  more  that  of  an  obese  Span- 
ish or  Portuguese  friar,  than  the  hero  of  modern  times. 

"He  walked  round  the  room  with  an  attempt,  as 
it  seemed,  at  the  old  dignity.  .   .  ." 

An  attempt  at  the  old  dignity  !  How  greatly  this 
appreciation  differs  from  the  simple,  yet  stately, 
deportment  described  by  Ellis,  Abel,  and  Basil   Hall  ! 


THE  EMPEROR  109 

To  hear  Henry  thus  evoke  the  past  to  cast  ridicule 
upon  the  present,  would  not  one  imagine  that  before 
his  reception  at  Longwood  the  assistant-surgeon  had 
formerly  been  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  Tuileries  ! 

Meanwhile  the  series  of  presentations  has  begun. 
Count  Bertrand  and  General  Sir  George  Bingham, 
more  or  less  acquainted  with  English  and  French 
respectively,  act  as  interpreters.  The  Emperor 
addresses  Colonel  Nicol  : — 

"Your  regiment  has  lately  arrived  from  India; 
coming  from  that  rich  country  you  should  wear  gold, 
and  not  silver.  How  many  years  does  it  take  to 
acclimatise  a  regiment  of  Europeans  ?  " 

"  Two  or  three  years.  A  few  die  the  first  year, 
more  the  second,  but  the  mortality  is  much  reduced 
during  the  third." 

"  Did  your  officers  save  much  money  in  India?  " 
"  No  ;  the  expense  of  living  is  too  great." 
"  How  many  servants  did  you  keep  there  ?  " 
"  I  had  at  one  time  between  thirty  and  forty — I 
think  thirty-nine." 

"  Do  you  think  a  regiment  is  efficient  after  twenty 
years'  service  in  India?" 

"  Yes  :  it  is  fed  by  recruits  from  home." 
"What  kind  of  troops  are  the  Sepoys?" 
"  Those  in  the  British  service  are  excellent  troops." 
"  How  many  battalions  of  Sepoys  of  equal  strength 
would  you  engage  with  the  66th  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  battalions  with  British  officers  or 
without  them  ?  " 


no  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  Both  the  one  and  the  other." 

"  Sepoy  regiments  with  British  officers  are  good 
and  steady  soldiers.  I  should  not  like  great  disparity 
of  force  with  them,  though  I  might  manage  to  defeat 
four  or  five  battalions  belonging  to  the  Native 
Powers  with  the  66th,  and  I  am  pretty  sure  we  could." 

"  Very  good.     You  are  a  fine  fellow." 

"  How  many  officers  have  you  in  your  mess  ?  " 

"Sixteen  at  Deadwood." 

"You  sit  very  late  at  the  mess,  I  hear, — often  till 
midnight." 

"  Oh  yes  ;  when  we  have  a  few  good  fellows  there, 
we  sometimes  don't  stir  till  cock-crow." 

"  But  the  officers  get  tipsy  then,  don't  they  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  no,  they  don't  get  drunk." 

"  Have  you  not  a  Catholic  officer  in  the  regi- 
ment ?" 

The  Colonel  designated,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
circle,  Lieutenant  MacCarthy,  an  officer  with  a  ruddy 
complexion. 

"  He  has  been  to  Rio  Janeiro  lately,  I  hear," 
Napoleon  rejoined. 

"  Yes,  and  is  just  returned." 

"He  went  there  to  get  absolution  for  his  pecca- 
dilloes, I  suppose."  This  pleasantry  was  answered 
by  a  general  burst  of  laughter  and  a  blush  on  the 
honest  and  naturally  rubicund  features  of  MacCarthy. 
And  the  Emperor  turned  to  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Lascelles — 

"  What  countryman  are  you  ?  " 


THE  EMPEROR  in 

"An  Englishman." 

"  From  what  part  of  England  ?  " 

"  From  Yorkshire." 

"  Were  you  born  in  the  city  of  York  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  The  next  senior  officer,"  says  Henry,  "  was 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Dodgin,  C.B.,  who  had  several 
clasps  and  medals  on  his  breast.  He  was  besides 
a  remarkably  fine,  military  looking  man.  Napoleon 
looked  at  him  with  some  complacency,  and  took  hold 
with  his  fingers  of  one  of  the  most  glittering  of  the 
batch  of  distinctions,  which  happened  to  be  the  Vittoria 
medal  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  read  that  '  word  of  fear,' 
he  dropped  it  instantly,  and  rather  abruptly.  It  was 
no  mere  fancy  of  mine,  but  a  matter  of  plain  fact, 
observed  and  spoken  of  at  the  time  by  us  all,  that 
his  gesture  was  exactly  that  of  a  person  letting  fall 
something  unexpectedly  and  disagreeably  hot." 

Let  the  reader  here  admire  an  example  of  bad 
taste  most  characteristic  of  Saint  Helena.  The 
officers  of  the  66th  have  requested  the  favour  of 
seeing  the  Emperor.  Loath  to  refuse  them  an  audi- 
ence, he  satisfies  their  curiosity,  yet  these  people 
reward  him  by  ostentatiously  displaying  orders  in  his 
drawing-room,  that  common  politeness,  the  gener- 
osity of  the  soldier,   forbade  them  to  show  there. 

It  is  difficult,  besides,  to  accept  the  assistant- 
surgeon's  explanation  of  a  gesture  no  doubt  mechanical, 
knowing  as  one  does  how  calmly  Napoleon,  during 
the  Captivity,  looked  back  upon  the  days  of  adversity 


112  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

in  his  career.  He  discussed  his  defeats  with  his 
companions  as  often  as  his  victories,  and  spoke  to 
strangers  with  the  same  passionless  accents — as  a 
score  of  English  narratives  testify — of  Moscow  and 
Jena,  of  Waterloo  and  Austerlitz.  He  never  shrank 
from  a  painful  recollection.  Indeed,  together  with 
various  other  kinds  of  courage,  he  possessed  that, — 
by  no  means  the  least, — which  consists  in  facing  a 
sorrowful  past  with  impassive  countenance. 

If  the  memory  of  the  repulse  of  Vittoria  had  dis- 
turbed him  in  the  manner  that  Henry  relates,  is  it 
probable  that,  immediately  afterwards,  he  would  have 
alluded  to  the  disastrous  Peninsular  War  in  the 
following  question  addressed  to  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Dodgin  ? — 

"  You  have  decorations,  I   see.     Where  did  you 

}  » 
serve  r 

"In  Egypt  and  the  Peninsular." 

"  Were  you  at  Salamanca  or  Toulouse  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Was  your  regiment  at  Talavera  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Were  you  ever  wounded  ?  " 

"  Yes — twice." 

"  Was  your  name  sent  home  as  an  officer  who 
had  distinguished  himself?" 

Here  Colonel  Dodgin  hesitated,  and  Captain  Baird 
answered  for  him  :  "  Yes — three  times." 

Napoleon  addressed  Captain  Baird— 

"  You  are  a  captain  of  grenadiers  ?  " 


THE  EMPEROR  113 

"Yes." 

"  How  many  years  have  you  been  in  the  service  ?  " 

"  Nearly  twenty." 

"  And  still  only  a  captain  ?  " 

"  Even  so." 

Next,  Captain  Jordan  passed  the  ordeal.  He 
was  married  to  a  handsome  Saint  Helena  lady,  whom 
he  had  met  in  Bengal,  and  whose  father's  house  was 
not  more  than  a  mile  from  Longwood.  The  following 
short  dialogue  took  place  : — 

"  You  are  married  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Your  wife  is  pretty,  I  hear.  How  many  children 
have  you  ?  " 

"Two." 

After  a  few  equally  brief  questions  to  Captain 
Dunne,  the  Emperor  came  to  an  officer  who  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  one  of  Henry's  friends  ;  for  the 
doctor  only  gives  the  initial  of  his  name,  and  describes 
him  as  a  man  of  uncouth  appearance  and  forbidding- 
countenance.  "  This  Vandal,"  as  he  calls  him,  "an 
evident  descendant  of  the  colony  of  barbarians  settled 
in  Cambridgeshire  by  a  Roman  emperor,  must  have 
been  displeasing  to  Napoleon,  who  paid  no  attention 
to  him  and  proceeded  to  address  Captain  L'Estrange, 
a  worthy  little  fellow  of  very  dark  complexion  " — 

"How  long  have  you  served  ?  " 

"  Fourteen  years — two  in  India." 

"  How  is  it  your  complexion  is  so  dark  ?  Were 
you  sick  in  India  ?  " 


ii4  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"No." 

"  Do  you  drink  ?  " 

L'Estrange  only  answered  by  a  smile.  Napoleon 
complacently  insisted  in  English:  "Drink!  Drink!" 
and  went  on  by  asking  Captain  Duncan — 

"  How  long  have  you  served  ?  " 

"  Upwards  of  twenty  years." 

"  You  have  been  in  India  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Were  you  ever  in  action  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  ever  wounded  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Then  you  are  a  lucky  fellow." 

Now  came  the  turn  of  Dr.  Heir,  the  physician 
of  the  66th.  His  introduction  gave  rise  to  an 
amusing  mistake,  and  to  an  incident  that,  in  spite  of 
its  insignificance,  must  have  appeared  important 
and  extremely  regrettable  to  that  formalist,  Hudson 
Lowe. 

The  title  of  Emperor  was  never  to  be  given  to 
Napoleon  by  a  British  subject.  But,  whatever 
Henry  maintains,  the  prisoner  of  Saint  Helena 
retained  something  about  his  person  that  was  too 
imposing  for  the  strict  observance  of  such  a  regula- 
tion. Many  felt  embarrassment  and  were  conscious 
of  rudeness  when  they  called  him  "  General."  The 
peasants  of  the  island,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Captivity,  were  wont  to  greet  him  with  a  "good- 
morning,  Mr.  Emperor."     Some  officers,  like  Captain 


THE  EMPEROR  115 

Basil  Hall,  addressed  him  as  "  His  Majesty,"  of  set 
purpose.  And  that  day,  Sir  George  Bingham  in- 
advertently perpetrated  a  similar  error. 

Dr.  Heir,  a  man  over  six  feet  high,  might  have 
qualified  for  the  position  of  drum-major,  as  far  as 
his  stature  was  concerned.  Sir  George  Bingham, 
who  pronounced  French  badly,  and  Count  Bertrand, 
whose  knowledge  of  English  was  very  imperfect, 
contented  themselves  with  changing  the  surgeon- 
major  (chirtirgien  -  major)  into  sergeant  -  major 
{sergent  -major). 

Napoleon,  surprised  at  the  announcement  of 
this  inferior  rank  and  seeking"  an  explanation, 
remarked — 

"  True,  Lord  Wellington  promoted  several  of  his 
sergeant-majors." 

"  Pardon,  Sire,"  Sir  George  corrected.  "  Mr.  Heir 
is  the  surgeon-major  of  the  regiment." 

"Ah!  yes,  I  see,"  the  Emperor  resumed.  "You 
had  a  great  many  sick  in  India  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  it  is  not  a  healthy  climate." 

"  Many  liver  complaints  ?  " 

"Yes." 

Napoleon,  who  dreaded  hepatitis,  took  great  interest 
in  that  subject,  and  rapidly  disposing  of  Lieutenant 
Moffatt  and  several  other  officers,  he  inquired  anew, 
this  time  of  the  assistant-surgeon,  Henry — 

"  Were  diseases  of  the  liver  common  in  India  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  occur  there  more  frequently  than  in 
colder  climates." 


n6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  Your   soldiers    drink  an   enormous    quantity   of 
brandy  in   India?" 

"They  are  much  too  fond  of  spirits;  arrack  is 
cheap,  and  the  climate  makes  them  thirsty." 

"  Do  you  bleed  and  give  large  doses  of  calomel 
there,  as  the  English  doctors  do  here?  " 

"  I  believe  the  practice  is  similar." 

"Are  you,  too,  a  devotee  of  the  lancet?  Ah, 
God  defend  me  from  it  !  " 

"In  my  opinion  it  is  our  most  potent  weapon." 

"  To  kill  or  cure,  eh,  doctor  !  " 

Only  the  ensigns,  at  the  extremity  of  the  circle, 
remained.  The  Emperor  exchanged  a  few  words 
with  them,  questioned  Colonel  Nicol  a  second  time 
about  the  Sepoys,  and  spoke  for  a  moment  to  General 
Bingham.  Then  all  the  English  officers  bowed  to 
him,  and  the  interview  came  to  an  end. 

Henry  makes  the  following  commentary  : — 

"As  we  walked  home  to  Deadwood,  and  calmly 
reviewed  what  had  passed,  and  compared  the  appear- 
ance, manner,  and  conversation  of  Bonaparte  with 
our  preconceived  ideas,  expectations,  and  prepos- 
sessions, the  general  feeling  was  great  disappointment  ; 
but  this  might  have  been  reasonably  anticipated. 
Without  reference  to  the  usual  sobering  effect  of 
vicinity  and  contact,  in  dissipating  the  gilded  halos 
with  which  a  sanguine  fancy  invests  distant  and 
remarkable  objects,  the  interview  with  Napoleon 
had  dissolved  a  glory,  par  excellence.  A  fascinating- 
prestige,  which  we  had  cherished  all  our  lives,  then 


THE  EMPEROR  117 

vanished  like  gossamer  in  the  sun.  The  great 
Napoleon  had  merged  into  an  unsightly  and  obese 
individual  ;  and  we  looked  in  vain  for  that  over- 
whelming power  of  eye  and  force  of  expression, 
which  we  had  been  taught  to  expect  by  a  delusive 
imagination. 

"At  our  mess-dinner  the  same  evening,  our 
illustrious  neighbour  had  evidently  fallen  by  one 
half  from  our  notions  concerning  him  of  the  day 
before.  Of  course,  our  conversation  was  exclusively 
occupied  by  the  great  event  of  the  day,  which  would 
form  a  sort  of  epoch  in  our  lives.  Various  and 
amusing  enough  was  the  confidential  chat  over  our 
wine  that  evening  :  some  were  much  dissatisfied  at 
the  answers  they  had  given,  and  wished  the  affair 
could  be  reacted,  that  they  might  behave  better. 
One  or  two  honest  fellows  acknowledged  the  loss 
of  all  presence  of  mind  on  the  occasion.  We  had 
some  mirth  at  L'Estrange's  expense,  about  the 
'  Drink  !  Drink  !  '  and  the  fuddling  propensity 
of  which  he  was  so  unceremoniously  accused  by 
Bonaparte  ;  though  the  charge  was  quite  unfounded. 
Besides,  we  were  puzzled  to  understand  by  what 
peculiar  mode  of  reasoning  the  Emperor  had 
established  the  whimsical  connection  between  in- 
temperance and  a  dark  complexion.   ..." 

The  following,  perhaps,  is  the  explanation  :  a  com- 
plexion such  as  L'Estrange's  may  denote  hepatitis, 
and  habitual  drunkards  were  especially  liable  to 
return  from   India  with  that  disease. 


n8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Napoleon  took  a  malicious  and  somewhat  excessive 
pleasure  in  turning-  the  conversation  to  the  subject 
of  drink  when  talking  to  Englishmen.  Allowances 
must  be  made  on  his  behalf  for  the  fact  that  intoxica- 
tion was  then  a  pre-eminently  British  vice,  as  he 
knew  from  personal  experience.  On  the  island  of 
Elba,  he  had  honoured  by  his  presence  an  entertain- 
ment given  on  board  the  frigate,  the  Undaunted  ;  Pons 
de  l'Hérault  relates  that  after  his  departure  the  ship's 
officers  became  so  tipsy,  and  behaved  in  such  a 
disgraceful  fashion,  that  the  ladies  were  obliged  to 
leave.  At  the  time  of  the  visit  of  the  66th,  the 
orderly  officer  attached  to  Longwood  was  Captain 
Blakeney  ;  he  drank  excessively,  and  his  wife,  who 
shared  his  passion  for  alcohol,  once  appeared  before 
the  Emperor  in  a  state  of  inebriation. 

"Colonel  Nicol's  reply  to  Napoleon's  question 
about  the  Sepoys,"  continues  Henry,  "  was  deservedly 
admired  as  happy  and  correct.  The  interrogation 
was,  in  all  probability,  a  trap  ;  and  the  querist  con- 
ceived, very  likely,  that  in  the  Colonel's  desire  to 
puff  his  own  corps,  he  might  choose  to  elevate  its 
character  at  the  expense  of  disparaging  the  Sepoys. 
For  it  is  well  known  that  Bonaparte  generally  spoke 
slightingly  of  our  Indian  Army  ;  and  any  depreciation 
of  the  excellent  troops  that  compose  it  could  scarcely 
be  unacceptable  to  him.  Besides  the  peculiar  dislike 
he  might  entertain  for  that  army,  as  a  vast  though 
distant  bulwark  of  British  power,  there  was  a  strong 
association   formed   in   his   mind  between  it  and   an 


THE  EMPEROR  119 

illustrious  individual,  for  whom  he  never  had  reason 
to  cherish  much  affection.  He,  himself,  was  believed 
to  be  the  writer  of  an  article  in  the  Moniteur,  about 
the  time  of  Massena's  advance  on  Torres  Vedras, 
full  of  virulent  abuse  of  England  and  the  English 
Army  ;  in  which  Lord  Wellington  was  opprobriously 
designated  only  a  Sepoy  General" 

Where  the  assistant-surgeon  discovers  a  mental 
reservation,  and  a  snare  set  for  his  Colonel,  the 
reader  has  doubtless  only  perceived  Napoleon's  usual 
thirst  for  information. 

"  The  abruptness  with  which  Napoleon  dropped 
Colonel  Dodgin's  Vittoria  medal  became  the  subject 
of  much  conversation  at  the  mess.  Yet  was  the 
gesture  natural  enough,  for  the  recollection  of  the 
sad  consequences  of  that  battle,  both  in  Spain,  and 
as  materially  influencing  the  decision  of  Austria 
against  him  at  a  most  critical  time,  must  have 
caused  a  bitter  pang." 

Henry's  conclusion  is  a  note  of  apparent  pity, — 
of  triumph,  in  reality, — for  one  feels  the  pride,  welling 
forth,  of  the  Englishman  at  length  victorious  and 
master  of  the  great  enemy — 

"Poor  man!  how  changed  now  his  condition, 
surrounded  in  captivity  by  men  bearing  on  their 
breasts  the  badges  of  triumph  over  his  armies,  from 
the  period  of  his  brilliant  levees  at  the  Tuileries, 
in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  the  heroes  of  Marengo 
and  Austerlitz  !  " 


CHAPTER    IV. 
THE  TEDIUM    OF   SAINT    HELENA. 

SAINT  HELENA  was  a  land  of  tedium. 
In  a  book  published  in  1805,  ten  years  before 
Napoleon's  captivity,  a  traveller  remarked — "  Few 
of  the  inhabitants  seem  to  live  satisfied  with  their 
condition,  or  without  a  desire  to  quit  it,  and  the 
wish  of  going  home — by  which  is  meant  going  to 
England — is  fondly  and  familiarly  expressed,  as  well 
by  the  native  inhabitants  as  by  the  recent  settlers." 

Going  home  !  What  cherished  pictures  this  short 
phrase  calls  up!  It  expresses  the  longing  to  revisit 
the  fatherland,  to  see  again  a  certain  church  tower 
or  street  corner,  the  paternal  roof,  the  hearth,  the 
old  white-haired  parents.  So  much  in  but  two  brief 
words  !  And  these  words,  so  soft  to  utter,  were 
constantly  murmured  by  persons  who  had  house 
and  family  at  Saint  Helena,  as  they  gazed  towards 
a  portion  of  the  globe  of  which  they  scarce  knew 
anything,  in  which,  for  the  most  part,  they  had  no 
interests  or  ties  of  affection,  and  would  have  felt 
themselves  perfect  strangers.  Why  ?  Because  even 
after  several  generations  of  denizenship  on  their  rock, 
they  still  considered  themselves  exiles,  and,  unwilling 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  121 

to  look  upon  this  remote  and  desolate  island  as  their 
country,  sought  one  elsewhere. 

The  ocean's  waste  surrounded  them,  stretching 
away  on  every  side  to  infinite  distances  :  700  miles 
separated  them  from  Ascension,  another  rock  ; 
1 1 40  miles  from  the  nearest  point  of  the  African 
coast;  1800  from  the  continent  of  America.  The 
voyage  from  Saint  Helena  to  England  was  estimated 
at  about  4000  miles,  and  that  in  the  contrary  direction 
(from  England  to  Saint  Helena)  might  almost  have 
been  reckoned  double,  before  the  use  of  steam  for 
means  of  communication  by  sea.  For,  after  cross- 
ing the  line,  where  the  south-east  trade-wind  began 
to  prevail,  preventing  them  from  steering  a  straight 
course,  vessels  outward  bound  from  Europe  for  the 
small  port  of  Jamestown  were  obliged  to  make  for 
their  destination  by  a  roundabout  way  and  describe, 
so  to  speak,  an  immense  circle.  For  a  time,  they 
followed  the  coast  of  Brazil,  took  the  bearings 
of  Martin-Vaz  and  Trinidad,  then,  veering  slightly 
to  the  east,  ran  down  the  Southern  Atlantic  as 
far  as  the  32nd  parallel.  From  this  latitude — 
within  three  degrees  of  that  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  whereas  Saint  Helena  is  situated  between 
the  15th  and  16th  parallel — they  sailed  up  in  a 
slanting  direction  towards  the  north,  and  after  two 
months  spent  entirely  in  navigation  at  length  reached 
the  wind  and  waters  of  the  island. 

But,  as  the  old  books  of  travel  relate,  occasionally 
they    missed    it,   passing  wide    of   a    mark    so  small 


122  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

amidst  the  waves,  and  apt,  when  enveloped  in  mist, 
to  be  mistaken  from  a  distance  by  the  look-out  men 
for  some  cloud  lying  low  on  the  horizon  ;  in  which 
case,  since  the  trades  made  it  impossible  for  them 
to  put  about,  the  captains,  raging,  cursing,  and  nigh 
weeping  with  vexation,  had  either  to  give  up  the 
idea  of  dropping  anchor  at  Jamestown,  or  else  return 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Equator  and  begin  the 
laborious  circuit  once  more. 

Discovered  in  1502,  first  a  Portuguese,  then  a 
Dutch  Colony,  and  twice  abandoned,  Saint  Helena 
had  belonged  to  the  East  India  Company  for  a 
century  and  a  half  when  Napoleon  underwent  his 
exile  there.  It  was  temporarily  placed  on  this 
occasion  under  the  control  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment, and  only  became  a  Crown  Colony  in  1836. 

But  for  the  prevalence  of  the  winds  peculiar  to 
the  Southern  Atlantic,  and  also  the  scarcity  of  its 
natural  resources,  the  island  would  have  been  an 
extremely  valuable  possession.  It  was  destined  by 
its  situation  to  be  the  halting-station  for  the  vessels 
of  the  celebrated  company,  always  circumnavigating 
Africa,  always  ploughing  the  waves  on  the  high-road 
between  Europe  and  the  Far  East  by  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  Unfortunately,  they  could  not  call  at 
Jamestown  on  their  way  to  Asia,  for  the  unfavour- 
able breezes  kept  them  too  far  off.  The  south-east 
trade-wind  only  brought  them  to  that  port  on  the 
return  journey.  They  took  in  water  there.  Besides 
water,  Saint   Helena  afforded  them  hardly  any  fresh 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  123 

provisions  other  than  cress,  potatoes,  and  yams.  Far, 
indeed,  from  the  island  being  able  to  supply  the 
ships,  it  was  the  ships  that  had  to  cater  for  the  island. 
All  the  flour  used  for  making  bread  came  from 
England  or  the  Cape  ;  nearly  all  the  butcher's  meat 
from  the  Cape,  the  Portuguese  coast  of  Angola,  or 
from  Brazil.  The  few  cows  and  sheep  to  be  seen 
grazing  in  the  scant  meadows  of  the  island  generally 
arrived  from  beyond  the  seas,  and  were  slaughtered 
as  soon  as  they  had  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of 
a  long  crossing.  Some  goats,  pigs,  and  tough  fowls 
were  about  the  only  specimens  of  native  breeding. 

Of  limited  utility  as  a  port  of  call,  and  almost 
useless  as  a  revictualling  station,  Saint  Helena  was, 
above  all,  a  maritime  citadel,  under  which  the  vessels 
of  the  East  India  Company  found  protection  in  time 
of  war  against  privateers  and  hostile  fleets.  Its 
gigantic  cliffs  already  made  it  a  stronghold.  The 
science  of  the  engineers  had  further  surmounted  the 
natural  bulwark  with  masonry,  casemated  the  basaltic 
tiers,  multiplied  during  a  hundred  years  the  parapets, 
redoubts,  and  batteries.  Count  de  Montholon  was 
struck  by  the  fact  on  his  arrival  before  Jamestown  : 
"Look  in  every  direction,  up  or  down,"  he  writes,  "  you 
will  see  nothing  but  lines  of  cannon  and  black  walls." 
And  when  Admiral  Cockburn,  after  disembarking 
from  the  Northumberland  with  Napoleon,  inspected 
the  fortifications  of  the  island,  he  counted  four 
hundred  guns  threatening  the  ocean  on  all  sides 
with  their  brazen  muzzles. 


124  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

By  way  of  extreme  precaution,  during  the  first 
months  of  the  Captivity,  the  English  occupied 
Ascension.  Its  relative  proximity  to  the  island  of 
exile  made  them  fear  the  possibility  of  a  plot  formed 
there  to  deliver  the  Emperor.  This  wretched  rock, 
completely  barren,  on  which  even  fresh  water  is  a 
luxury,  has  since  acquired  a  garrison  and  bastions. 
But  the  British  Government  does  not  regard  it  as 
a  territory.  Ascension  is  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Admiralty.  It  is  commanded  by  a  naval 
captain  ;  administered,  revictualled,  and  rationed 
like  a  man-of-war — a  man-of-war  always  at  anchor  in 
mid-Atlantic.  Saint  Helena  was  somewhat  similar  : 
it,  too,  was  a  kind  of  huge  vessel  of  the  line, 
inadequately  stocked,  everlastingly  motionless,  beside 
which  the  real  vessels,  those  that  eagerly  ploughed 
the  waves  and  sailed  around  the  world,  moored  for 
a  time  at  too  rare  intervals. 

The  isolation  of  the  island,  its  remoteness  from 
the  continents  and  its  poverty  help  one  to  understand 
the  home-sickness  of  its  inhabitants.  But  there  was 
yet  another  source  of  melancholy  :  its  wild  character 
and  tormented  aspect.  Imagine,  on  an  area  hardly 
larger  than  that  of  Paris,  a  mountain  system  so 
excessively  developed,  that  elsewhere,  less  heaped 
up  and  compact,  it  might  almost  cover  a  province. 
A  land  furrowed  and  intersected  by  precipitous  ranges, 
a  land  of  bold  relief,  of  ridges  and  ravines — such  is 
Saint  Helena!  It  appears  even  smaller  than  it  is, 
on    this   account,   and  produces  a  general    sensation 


Flaasfcsff  f  %  ^he  Ba™*'f^ 


SAISIT  HELKNA 


~        ~~  f  Limits   assigned  to  Napoleon 


"S  Mil 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  125 

of  narrowness  and  confinement.  With  the  exception 
of  four  or  five  plateaus,  there  are  no  wide  open 
spaces,  but  on  all  sides  sharp  lines  of  heights,  scarcely 
affording  standing-room,  or  gullies  shutting  out  the 
horizon,  in  which  one  is,  as  it  were,  walled  up. 

Those  who  know  the  country  soon  tire  of  walking 
over  ground  so  precipitous  and  yet  so  uniform  in 
character.  The  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants  of  James- 
town hardly  ever  left  the  gorge  in  which  they 
vegetated.  To  scale  the  steep  gradients  that  rose 
on  either  side  and  led  to  the  interior,  seemed 
nearly  as  wearisome  to  them  as  a  voyage  to 
England,  and  certainly  less  inviting.  The  scanty 
groups  of  islanders  settled  outside  the  capital — about 
thirteen  hundred  souls — squatting,  as  a  rule,  for 
protection  from  the  trade-wind,  in  the  hollows  of 
valleys  only  connected  with  one  another  by  bridle 
paths,  remained  equally  sedentary,  almost  deprived 
of  social  intercourse,  and  lived  a  life  that  was  even 
more  dreary,  torpid,  and  indifferent. 

Without  attractions  for  the  Yamstocks — as  the 
natives  were  amusingly  called,  after  the  name  of  one 
of  their  staples — Saint  Helena  could  not  fail  to  strike 
all  the  residents  as  a  detestable  abode,  and  especially 
the  officers,  who,  from  18 15  to  1821,  were  turn  by 
turn  garrisoned  there  on  the  occasion  of  Napoleon's 
captivity.  During  the  recent  wars,  the  greater  part 
of  these  officers  had  just  seen  Egypt,  Naples,  Sicily, 
Spain  ;  some,  like  Henry,  knew  India.  After  the 
bright    shores    of    the    Mediterranean,    and,    above 


126  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

all,  after  the  land  teeming  with  multitudes  and 
abounding  in  marvels,  where  the  Himalayas  rise, 
where  the  Ganges  reflects  pagodas  and  huge  palaces, 
where  desert  places  are  called  the  jungle,  the  dazzling 
land  of  Golcondas,  of  Rajahs,  of  Bayaderes,  what  a 
change  to  be  transferred  to  a  little  lonely  island,  ten 
miles  in  length  and  seven  in  breadth,  poor,  gloomy, 
and  barely  inhabited  ! 

The  most  usual  pastime  of  Henry  and  his 
companions,  apart  from  their  duties,  was  now  that 
of  all  unfortunate  people  condemned  to  live  on  a 
rock.  From  the  top  of  the  plateau  too  often  enveloped 
in  mist,  on  which  Deadwood  and  Longwood  were 
situated,  they  gazed  at  the  sea  for  hours  when  the 
weather  was  clear,  scanning  the  horizon  with  melan- 
choly eyes  for  the  appearance  of  a  sail. 

Only  the  ships  of  the  East  India  Company  had 
retained  the  right  of  putting  into  port  at  Saint  Helena 
now  that  it  was  a  Government  prison,  but  other  ships, 
the  crew  and  passengers  of  which  hoped  to  evade 
orders  and  visit  Napoleon's  dwelling,  sometimes 
ventured  to  approach  the  coast.  "We  speculated," 
relates  Henry,  "as  to  the  particular  fib  the  master 
would  invent  ;  for  during  the  whole  time  that 
Bonaparte  remained  in  the  island,  vessels  were 
constantly  making  excuses  for  touching  there,  that 
the  passengers  might  have  a  chance  of  a  glimpse 
at  him,  or  even  the  home  where  he  lived.  One 
very  common  trick  of  the  masters  was  to  start  their 
water-casks  on  the  run  from  the  Cape,  invent  some 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  127 

plausible  story  of  a  leak,  or  something  else  to  tell 
the  windward  cruiser,  and  then  get  permission  to 
stop  two  or  three  days  for  a  fresh  supply." 

The  officers  also  tried  their  hand  at  two  other 
distractions  :  fishing  and  shooting.  A  sad  accident 
made  the  former  distasteful  to  them. 

"  Lieutenants  Davy  and  M'Dougall  of  the  66th," 
Henry  again  relates,  "proposed  to  me  one  night  at 
the  mess,  in  December,  1817,  to  go  to  fish  with 
them  at  daylight  next  morning,  off  some  huge 
rocks  to  the  south-east.  The  weather  was  fine,  and 
the  morning  broke  calm  and  clear.  I  arose  at  the 
appointed  hour,  but  soon  after,  a  fit  of  unaccountable 
drowsiness  came  on,  and  despite  my  punctiliousness 
in  keeping  appointments,  and  although  one  of  my 
friends  tapped  at  the  window,  I  declined  accom- 
panying him,  and  again  composed  myself  to  sleep. 

"  I  got  up  at  the  usual  hour,  and  after  breakfast 
rode  down  to  Jamestown.  A  little  after  dismounting, 
a  soldier  came  running  from  the  signal  post  with  a 
signal  just  made  from  Deadwood  in  his  hand.  It 
was  an  order  to  return  immediately  with  all  speed  ; 
my  two  friends  had  been  suddenly  washed  off  the 
rock  where  they  had  been  sitting  fishing  in  all 
apparent  security,  twenty  feet  above  the  water, 
one  minute  before.  Parties  were  goin^  in  search 
of  their  bodies,  and  I  was  directed  to  accompany 
them,   in  the  faint  hope  of  resuscitation. 

"  But,  poor  fellows  !  they  were  never  found. 
M'Dougall   had    been    recently   married    to   a    Saint 


128  THE  DRAMA  OF  SALNT  HELENA 

Helena  lady,  and  his  companion,  warm-hearted 
and  generous  Davy,  knowing  that  he  could  not 
swim  and  seeing  the  end  of  a  fishing-rod  within 
his  own  grasp,  which  the  servant,  who  sat  higher 
on  the  rocks,  and  escaped  the  wave,  had  stretched 
out  to  him,  cried  out,  "Seize  it,  M'Dougall,  seize  it 
— I  can  swim."  M'Dougall  did  grasp  the  rod;  but 
in  the  agitation  of  the  moment  he  grasped  it  too 
violently — the  slender  top  gave  way,  and  he  sunk 
to  rise  no  more.  Davy  then  suddenly  and  un- 
accountably disappeared,  and  it  was  believed  he 
had  been  seized  by  a  shark." 

Shooting  did  not  give  rise  to  such  tragic  ad- 
ventures. It  was  merely  an  arduous  and  not  very 
profitable  sport.  Henry  speaks  of  goats  on  the 
slopes  of  the  Barn,  that  had  returned  to  a  state 
of  nature  and  were  as  hard  of  pursuit  there  as  the 
chamois  in  the  Alps.  Wild  rabbits,  black  for  the 
most  part,  swarmed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Diana 
Peak  ;  but  their  flesh  is  unfortunately  mediocre. 
Saint  Helena  also  possesses  some  winged  game  : 
a  peculiar  breed  of  turtle-doves,  with  plumage  of  a 
faint  bluish  grey,  red-footed  partridges,  and  pheasants. 
In  Napoleon's  time  there  were  even  some  splendid 
wild  peacocks,  that  are  not  to  be  seen  there  at  the 
present  day.  The  Governor  reserved  to  himself 
the  partridges  and  the  pheasants  ;  the  peacocks 
haunted  the  rugged  heights  ;  and  the  precipitous 
nature  of  the  soil  generally  made  it  rather  difficult 
to  shoot  the  turtle-doves.     If,  at  the  critical  moment, 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  129 

these  birds  happened  to  cross  a  ravine  a  hundred 
yards  wide,  one  was  obliged,  in  order  to  get  near 
them  again,  to  cover  ten  times  the  distance,  to  go 
down,  and  then  up,  along  winding  paths  for  over 
half  a  mile. 

On  their  arrival  at  Saint  Helena,  the  officers  of 
the  66th  had  immediately  organised  balls  and  races. 

The  monthly  balls  were  soon  discontinued  for 
want  of  partners.  The  young  ladies  of  the  island 
came  three  or  four  times  in  hopes  of  being  noticed, 
and  then  ceased  to  appear. 

The  races,  if  more  successful,  were  nevertheless 
indifferent  entertainments.  They  only  took  place 
twice  a  year,  were  contested  by  ugly  little  Cape 
horses  on  a  narrow  piece  of  ground  close  to  the 
camp,  and  could  be  passed  over  in  silence,  but  that 
Henry  relates  with  regard  to  the  first,  that  of 
September,  181 7,  the  following  incident  : — "  A  certain 
half-mad  and  drunken  piqueur  of  Napoleon,  named 
Archambault,  took  it  into  his  head  to  gallop  within 
the  ropes  when  the  course  was  cleared  and  the 
horses  coming  up.  For  this  transgression  he  was 
pursued  by  one  of  the  stewards,  and  horse-whipped 
out  of  the  forbidden  limits.  This  gentleman  knew 
not  that  the  offender  belonged  to  the  Longwood 
establishment,  or  he  would,  no  doubt,  have  spared 
his  whip  ;  particularly  as  Napoleon  at  the  time  was 
sitting  on  a  bench  outside  his  residence,  looking  at 
the  crowd  through  a  glass  ;  and  we  were  appre- 
hensive that  he  might  interpret  the  accidental 
9 


1 30  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

chastisement  his  servant  received  into  a  premedi- 
tated insult  to  the  master.  But  we  did  Napoleon 
injustice  by  the  supposition.  Dr.  O'Meara  told 
me  the  next  day  that  he  had  distinctly  witnessed 
everything  that  passed,  and  had  been  very  angry 
when  he  saw  Archambault  galloping  alone  along 
the  course,  and  was  pleased  to  see  him  chastised, 
and  that  he  had  called  him  to  his  presence,  and 
expended  on  him  a  few/ —  bêtes!  and  sacrés  cochons  I 
afterwards." 

In  the  enumeration  of  amusements  at  Saint 
Helena,  Henry  also  mentions  some  dramatic  per- 
formances given  in  a  tiny  theatre  at  Jamestown, 
and  the  dinners  of  the  mess.  These  performances, 
restricted  to  amateurs,  were  rare,  but  the  mess  was 
often  the  scene  of  lively  and  somewhat  noisy  dinner 
parties  given  by  the  officers  of  Deadwood  to  those 
of  Jamestown,  or  to  their  comrades  of  the  fleet. 
There  was  much  deep  drinking  on  these  festive 
occasions,  and  Colonel  Nicol  no  doubt  somewhat 
disguised  the  truth  when  he  assured  Napoleon 
that  no  one  ever  got  tipsy. 

Finally,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  Plantation 
House  threw  open  its  doors  to  the  privileged — 
officers,  Government  officials,  leading  inhabitants 
or  residents — who  formed  the  small  social  circle  of 
the  island.  "For,"  as  Henry  observes,  "severe  as 
the  judgment  of  the  world  has  been  against  Sir 
Hudson  Lowe,  his  enemies  could  never  impeach 
the  liberal  hospitality  of  his  table."     It  must  certainly 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  131 

be  admitted  that  the  Governor's  receptions  were 
frequent  and  excellent.  The  reason  may  perhaps 
be  attributed  merely  to  interested  or  political  motives. 
He  was  almost  as  greatly  disliked  by  his  compatriots 
as  by  the  Frenchmen  of  Longwood,  and  perpetually 
dreaded    his    recall    to    London    owing"    to  excessive 

o 

unpopularity.  Ostentatious  entertainments  might 
appear,  in  his  opinion,  to  be  the  means  of  appeasing 
hostilities  aroused  by  his  cavilling  spirit  and  his 
incurable  passion  for  spying. 

It  is  also  possible  that  his  hospitable  habits  were 
the  result  of  compliance  with  domestic  influence. 

Lady  Lowe  was  extremely  fond  of  society. 

At  the  end  of  1817  the  Governor's  wife  was 
a  woman  of  thirty-eight,  who  looked  younger  than  her 
age.  Henry,  in  a  discreet  phrase,  seems  to  suggest 
that  her  figure  left  something  to  be  desired  ;  but  she 
had  an  attractive  face,  with  merry,  witty  eyes,  and 
thick  glossy  brown  hair  ;  her  neck  also  was  con- 
sidered pretty,  her  arms  beautiful,  her  skin  white 
and  delicate.  Endowed  with  an  exceptional  talent 
for  conversation, — "pre-eminently  a  gossip,"  Sturmer 
has  it, — communicative  and  affable  to  the  point  of 
appearing  slightly  coquettish,  she  looked  all  the 
more  charming  by  contrast  with  that  taciturn,  grace- 
less, and  bilious  man,  her  husband  ;  and  many  a 
guest  of  Plantation  when  asked  his  opinion  of 
Hudson  Lowe,  replied  like  Dr.  Warden  to  Napoleon, 
with  combined  circumspection  and  malice,  "  I  prefer 
Lady  Lowe." 


1 32  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

She  had  the  art  of  rendering  tolerable  receptions 
at  which  the  master  of  the  house  presided  with 
his  stiff  bearing  and  cold  formality,  of  enlivening 
the  society  that  he  froze,  of  dispelling  the  restraint 
and  eloom  of  the  visitors  whom  he  bored  and 
intimidated. 

A  pleasant  hostess  in  her  drawing  -  room, 
she  also  brought  a  little  life  and  an  element 
of  the  unexpected  into  the  island  by  her  outings, 
the  excursions  and  picnics  that  she  organised. 

She  had  a  phaeton  and  four  valuable  jet-black 
ponies  sent  over  from  England.  Dressed  as  a 
rule  in  rich  garments  open  at  the  neck,  and  wearing 
a  beaver  hat  adorned  with  long  feathers,  she  would 
drive  the  smart  four-in-hand  along  the  two  or  three 
carriage  roads  of  Saint  Helena,  accompanied  by 
one  of  her  daughters,  and  followed  by  a  caval- 
cade of  ladies  and  officers,  and,  on  certain  days, 
indulged  in  the  delight  of  a  sensational  entry  into 
Jamestown. 

Accustomed  to  the  bullock-cart  in  which  the 
former  Governor,  Colonel  Wilks,  took  his  family 
out  in  patriarchal  fashion,  and  having  never  seen 
any  other  than  this  primitive  vehicle  and  the  old 
barouche  which  the  British  Government  had  assigned 
to  the  Emperor,  the  Yamstocks  opened  wide  eyes 
of  astonishment  when   Lady  Lowe  passed  by. 

She  was  Queen  of  the  Island  :  Queen  by  right 
of  the  fascination  she  exercised,  and  further  by  the 
fear   her    husband    inspired.     For    during    General 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  133 

Bonaparte's  imprisonment,  the  Governor  was 
invested  with  extraordinary  powers,  not  only  over 
the  Frenchmen  of  Longwood,  but  also  over  his 
own  compatriots,  whom  he  could  expel,  imprison, 
nay,  even  condemn  to  be  hanged  or  shot,  almost 
without  a  trial.  Naturally,  she  shared  the  alarming 
prestige  of  such  great  authority.  The  military  men 
and  the  Government  officials  made  love  to  her, 
flattered  her,  danced  attendance  on  her,  for  diplo- 
matic reasons  as  much  as  for  her  charms.  Hudson 
Lowe,  it  was  known,  desired  every  one  to  show 
the  greatest  deference,  the  most  delicate  attentions 
to  his  wife.  He  wished  everything  to  be  done  to 
please  her,  would  not  permit  anything  that  dis- 
pleased her. 

For  instance,  one  Sunday  she  went  down  to 
Jamestown,  and,  as  usual,  paid  a  visit  to  the  Castle, 
an  old  building  used  by  the  Governor  as  a  town 
residence  and  offices.  She  was  slightly  indisposed, 
suffering-  from  neuralgia  or  headache.  The  bells 
were  just  ringing  for  service  at  the  neighbouring 
church  ;  she  declared  that  they  annoyed  and  enervated 
her.  Hudson  Lowe,  who  was  present,  sent  word  to 
Mr.  Vernon,  the  vicar,  to  put  a  stop  to  them. 
Shortly  afterwards,  the  patient,  feeling  better,  counter- 
manded her  husband's  orders  without  informing  him 
of  the  fact.  The  bells  began  to  ring  again,  and 
Hudson  Lowe,  on  hearing  them,  flew  into  a  passion, 
snatched  up  his  pen  and  wrote  to  the  clergyman  : 
"  The  Governor  desires  to  know  by  whose  ignorance, 


134  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

insolence,  or  stupidity,  his  order  has  been  disobeyed." 
The  vicar,  taking  offence,  laconically  replied  :  "  By 
Lady   Lowe's." 

On   another  of  her  visits  to  Jamestown,   she  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  see  a  sham  naval  fight.     Adjutant- 
General     Sir     Thomas     Reade,     who     accompanied 
her,     conferred     with     Captain    Wauchope,     of    the 
Eurydice,  a  frigate  at  anchor  in  the  roadstead.     At 
ten   o'clock    in    the   evening   the   Eurydice  suddenly 
blazed  with  blue  lights,  and  after  a  brilliant  discharge 
of  many-coloured  rockets,  opened  fire  with  a  rousing 
volley,  which  was  answered  by  a  brig  some  distance 
away.     The  echoes  of  the  gorge,  where  the  village 
lay  wrapped  in  sleep,  increased  tenfold  the  vigour  of 
the  cannonade.     The  inhabitants,  awakening  at  the 
uproar  in  surprise  and  consternation,  left  their  beds 
and    fled,    scantily    clothed,   into    the    interior  of   the 
island.       Rear-Admiral   Plampin,   who  lived    at    The 
Briars    and    had    not    been    consulted,    was    equally 
astonished   and   alarmed.       It    occurred   to    him   that 
American    buccaneers    were    attempting    to    deliver 
Bonaparte.       He   made    his    orderly  officer  mount  a 
horse  and  sent  him  galloping  down  the  steep  slope 
that  descends  to  Jamestown.     Then,  summoning  all 
his  courage,  and  ready  for  death  and  glory,  he  donned 
his   cocked   hat  and   girt   on   his   sword.     Whilst  he 
was   preparing  to  repulse  the  Yankees,   Lady   Lowe 
and  her  company,  in  high  glee  and  laughing  heartily 
at    such    a    flutter,    quietly    returned    to    Plantation 
House. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  135 

Five  or  six  characters  lengthen  somewhat  the 
short  list  of  diversions  at  Saint  Helena  by  their 
ludicrous  actions.  Admiral  Plampin  is  one  of 
them. 

He  succeeded  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm  at  the  head 
of  the  naval  station. 

Malcolm  had  handsome  features,  the  manners  of 
a  gentleman,  and  a  generous  nature  ;  the  red-faced, 
bulky  and  shaggy  Plampin  the  breeding  of  a  topman, 
and  as  common  a  mind. 

He  detested  the  Emperor. 

After  the  Captivity,  he  used  to  say  that  he  had 
never  been  wanting  in  the  respect  and  the  attentions 
due  from  an  officer  of  high  rank  in  the  British  Navy 
to  the  prisoner  of  Saint  Helena.  But,  revealing  his 
hidden  sentiments  and  showing  his  crass  ignorance, 
he  added  that  a  single  recollection  prevented  him 
from  pitying  Napoleon  ;  every  time  he  saw  him,  he 
remembered  how  this  very  man  had  boasted  "of 
the  number  of  men,  women  and  children  he  had 
destroyed  à  coups  de  mitraille  on  the  Place  d'Armes 
of  Toulon." 

"There  was  generally,"  Sir  Robert  Plampin 
would  further  state,  "a  great  deal  of  trick  and 
mannerisms  about  Bonaparte  in  the  audiences  he 
gave  to  individuals,  as  he  mostly  placed  his  back 
close  to  a  window,  so  that  he  could  watch,  with  the 
greatest  ease  and  minuteness,  the  persons  whom  he 
addressed,  whilst  they  were  inconvenienced  by  the 
strong  light  being  full  in  their  faces.     Although  he 


136  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

had  not  been  out  of  his  apartment,  nor  thought  of 
going,  an  enormous  cocked  hat  employed  his  left 
hand  and  arm,  and  the  right  was  put  at  ease  by- 
frequent  application  to  the  snuff-box." 

In  other  words,  Plampin,  conscious  of  his  vulgarity 
and  not  knowing  how  to  behave,  had  felt  uncomfort- 
able in  Napoleon's  presence.  To  judge  by  his 
subsequent  vagaries,  one  might  suppose  that  he  was 
frequently  received  at  Longwood  ;  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  during  the  three  years  of  his  command,  he 
only  saw  the  Emperor  once — on  the  occasion  of 
his  succession  to  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm.  Naturally 
he  seemed  a  poor  creature  to  him  who  judged  men 
at  a  glance  ;  he  did  not  fail  to  feel  it,  however  dull- 
witted  .  .  .   and  never  forgave  General  Bonaparte. 

His  resentment,  as  will  be  seen,  assumed  a 
practical  form  under  circumstances  of  importance. 
It  found  vent,  on  every  occasion,  in  rude  and  imbecile 
remarks. 

On  September  21st,  18 17,  an  earthquake  shook 
the  volcanic  soil  of  the  island  of  exile.  Shortly 
after  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  inhabitants 
perceived  three  rapid  shocks  and  heard  a  sound  as 
of  three  thunder-claps.  Napoleon,  who  was  already 
in  bed,  did  not  at  first  realise  what  was  the  cause 
of  this  phenomenon,  and  imagined  that  the  flagship, 
the  Conqueror,  had  caught  fire  in  the  roadstead  and 
had  just  blown  up.  He  told  his  surmise  to  Dr. 
O'Meara  on  the  following  day,  and  his  words  being 
reported    to     Plampin:     "Ay!     ay!"    the    Admiral 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  137 

exclaimed,   "  the  d d  rascal  supposed  so,  because 

he  wished  it  !  " 

This  shrewd  psychologist,  in  anticipation  of  the 
tedium  of  Saint  Helena,  had  shipped  at  Portsmouth, 
unshipped  at  Jamestown,  and  then  installed  at  The 
Briars,  a  young  person  whose  pleasing  exterior  and 
eighteen  or  twenty  summers  kept  his  sixty  years  in 
good  -  humour.  This  precaution  was  a  matter  for 
daily  self-congratulation  on  the  part  of  the  Admiral, 
his  orderly  officer,  and  several  of  his  midshipmen  ; 
but  at  first  it  involved  him  in  some  trouble. 

The  island  had  two  clergymen  :  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Vernon,  who  was  mild  and  tolerant,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Boys,  one  of  those  zealous  ministers  who  keep 
watch  over  the  private  life  of  their  flock  and  denounce 
and  chastise  vice  from  the  pulpit,  wherever  they  dis- 
cover it.  It  would  have  been  utterly  useless  to  have 
asked  him  to  put  a  stop  to  his  bells  ;  his  parishioners 
were  only  too  glad  when  he  put  a  stop  to  his  virtuous 
vehemence.  Two  months  after  Napoleon's  death, 
indignant  perhaps  at  certain  details  of  the  Captivity, 
he  thus  apostrophised  Hudson  Lowe  and  the  autho- 
rities of  Saint  Helena,  who  complained  thereof  in 
London  :  "  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  publicans 
and  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before 
you." 

Such  an  uncompromising  divine  could  not  fail 
on  this  occasion  to  inveigh  against  the  scandal  of 
The  Briars.  The  text  of  his  sermon  was  that  a 
commander  ought  to  set  an  example  of  morality  to 


138  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

his  subordinates  ;  the  first  condition  for  leading  a 
fleet  well  was  to  lead  a  good  life,  and  no  one  could 
govern  men  who  had  not  learned  to  govern  his 
passions.  He  represented  the  Admiral's  mistress  as 
a  diabolical  creature,  and  the  Admiral  himself  as  a 
wretched  old  man  possessed  by  the  demon  of  lust. 
He  almost  went  as  far  as  to  speak  of  exorcising  him. 
In  short,  he  covered  Plampin  with  ridicule,  and  the 
congregation  were  by  no  means  bored  on  that  par- 
ticular Sunday  in  the  little  church  of  Jamestown. 
Lady  Lowe  and  her  feminine  circle,  on  the  other 
hand,  expressed  themselves  shocked  and  assumed 
airs  of  disgust.  For  a  moment,  the  expulsion  of  the 
young  lady  and  a  request  for  the  recall  of  her  lover 
were  contemplated.  But  Hudson  Lowe  preferred 
indulgence. 

Immorality,  equivocal  situations,  by  no  means 
displeased  him  when  they  could  be  turned  to  his 
own  account,  as  is  proved  by  the  following  edify- 
ing fact  : — 

In  1818  an  individual  paid  a  visit  to  Saint 
Helena  to  whom  Henry  devotes  a  few  lines,  and 
who  was  later  to  attain  a  certain  measure  of 
celebrity  in  London  as  playwright,  and  author  of 
various  publications. 

His  name  was  Theodore  Hook.  Under  escort 
of  a  captain,  he  was  returning  home  to  be  tried 
by  the  justice  of  his  country.  When  treasurer  at 
Mauritius,  72,000  dollars  had  disappeared  from  his 
safe.      He   made    this    misadventure    the    subject    of 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  139 

an  amusing  joke  :  his  superiors,  he  said,  being  also 
his  well-wishers,  had  just  prescribed  a  journey 
round  the  Cape,  a  hygienic  sea  voyage,  "  for  a 
complaint  of  his  chest."  He  took  part,  together 
with  his  custodian,  in  an  entertainment  organised 
at  Jamestown  by  the  66th,  and  followed  by  a 
supper.  Endowed  with  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
humour,  and  a  wonderful  talent  for  mimicry,  he 
improvised  funny  verses  on  any  given  subject,  and 
sang  comic  songs.  For  a  whole  evening,  a  whole 
night,  as  Henry  relates,  he  kept  his  hosts  in  fits 
of  laughter. 

It  may  not  cause  much  astonishment  to  see 
unfortunate  officers,  in  search  of  distractions,  wel- 
come for  once  in  a  way  a  man  charged  with 
embezzlement,  and  offer  him  the  hospitality  of  their 
table  ;  the  presence  at  Saint  Helena  of  a  kind  of 
clown  was  a  rare  event.  But  a  matter  that  occa- 
sions greater  surprise  is  the  fact  that  the  Governor 
entered  into  relations  with  Theodore  Hook,  and 
appears  even  to  have  received  him  at  Plantation 
House.  He  supplied  him  with  information  about 
the  affairs  of  the  island.  On  his  arrival  in  London, 
the  smart  fellow  hastened  to  publish  a  little  book, 
vaunting-  the  comforts  and  attentions  with  which 
General  Bonaparte  was  surrounded,  and  depicting 
the  plateau  of  Longwood  as  a  spot  so  enchanting 
that  many  a  young  lady  began  to  dream  of  love 
in  a  cottage  there.  The  British  Cabinet  had  just 
experienced  some    annoyance    owing  to  the  far  less 


140  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

enthusiastic  descriptions  in  which  the  Liberal  Press 
and  the  Opposition  delighted.  The  former  treasurer 
of  Mauritius  appeared  before  a  tribunal,  and  was 
condemned  at  civil  law  to  refund  the  72,000 
dollars,  but  acquitted  on  the  criminal  charge. 

Hudson  Lowe,  who  knew  how  to  make  use  of 
Hook,  took  good  care  not  to  deprive  himself  of 
Plampin.  The  head  of  the  naval  station  at  Saint 
Helena,  although  inferior  in  authority  to  the 
Governor,  was  his  equal  in  military  rank  ;  as  he 
was  responsible  solely  for  keeping  watch  over  the 
sea  around  the  island,  his  functions  were,  so  to 
speak,  exterior,  and,  moreover,  not  of  a  nature  to 
come  within  the  competency  of  a  lieutenant-general. 
This  situation  left  him  a  large  measure  of  independ- 
ence, and  the  distrustful  Hudson  Lowe  had  observed 
that  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm  adopted  an  attitude  to- 
wards Napoleon  differing  from  his  own,  but  had  been 
unable  to  counteract  it.  There  was  nothing  similar 
to  fear  from  a  man  in  Plampin's  position.  Conse- 
quently, the  senile  lover  was  allowed  to  enjoy  his 
concubinage  at  The  Briars.  He  remained  at  Saint 
Helena,  discredited,  despised,  kept  at  a  distance 
by  Lady  Lowe  and  her  society,  and  retaining  only 
the  appearance  of  command  over  his  officers  and 
men,  a  sham  admiral  whose  ships  were  mobilised, 
and  guns  fired,  at  a  woman's  will. 

By  the  side  of  this  sailor  without  prestige  must 
be  placed  an  equally  laughable  soldier.  The  latter 
did   not  struggle  with   the  tedium  of  Saint   Helena 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  141 

by  keeping  a  mistress  :  he  reared  pigs  and  geese 
for  sale.  Really,  the  principal  representatives  of 
British  authority,  throughout  the  course  of  a  great 
historic  drama,  lacked  befitting  decency  and  dignity  ! 
General  Pine  Coffin  succeeded  Sir  George 
Binoham  at  the  head  of  the  garrison  at  Saint 
Helena  towards  the  end  of  the  Captivity.  His 
career  is  not  remarkable  for  any  striking  exploit  on 
the  battlefield,  but  he  deserves  to  go  down  to 
posterity  for  his  industry  during  leisure  moments 
in  time  of  peace.  He  had  rented  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Plantation  an  extensive  tract  of  land  on 
which  grass  grew  sparsely.  All  the  manure  of 
the  stables  at  Deadwood  and  of  the  barracks  at 
Jamestown  was  brought  there  by  his  orders,  and 
the  soldiers  of  the  66th  gratuitously  constructed  for 
him  a  poultry-house,  a  piggery,  and  an  ox-stall. 
He  obtained  some  lean  cows  from  Benguela,  and 
some  emaciated  sheep  from  the  Cape,  at  reduced 
prices.  Suitably  fed  in  meadows  that  had  become 
almost  luxuriant,  these  beasts  flourished.  The  love 
of  lucre  and  the  haggling  spirit  of  this  gallooned 
cattle-breeder  preventing  him  from  coming  to  terms 
with  the  butcher,  he  started  a  shop  of  his  own,  says 
Henry,  who  tells  this  story,  and  retailed  his  wares 
in  a  most  ingenious  manner.  He  sent  a  dish  of 
sweetbreads  to  his  landlady,  Mrs.  Pritchard  ;  a 
leg  of  mutton  to  a  major  ;  a  sirloin  to  a  captain  ;  a 
beefsteak  to  a  lieutenant.  On  receiving  the  first 
sweetbreads,     Mrs.     Pritchard,    a     poor     widow    of 


142  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

eighty,  was  delighted,  and  thanked  the  general  for 
his  kind  attentions  to  old  age.  But,  on  quarter- 
day,  she  was  greatly  distressed  to  see  the  delicacy 
deducted  from  the  rent.  The  majors,  the  captains, 
and  the  lieutenants  were  no  less  surprised  on  being 
presented  with  bills,  and  felt  extremely  indignant. 
Coffin  was  already  detested  by  the  66th,  which  he 
harassed  by  drills  and  insulted  in  General  Orders, 
because  he  could  not  procure  from  Colonel  Nicol 
as  many  men  as  he  desired  for  fatigue  duty.  The 
officers  of  the  regiment  hit  upon  a  plan  of  revenge, 
which  Henry  undertook  to  carry  out. 

One  fine  morning,  placards  appeared  on  the 
walls  of  Jamestown,  on  the  gate  of  Plantation,  and 
at  Deadwood  camp,  to  this  effect  : 

The  public  are  respectfully  informed  that  Brigadier  - 
General  Coffin  will  kill  a  fat  bullock  at  his  house 
on  Wednesday,  the  10th  instant,  and  three  fat  sheep 
on  the  Friday  after.  Beef  from  nd.to  is.  per  pound, 
according  to  the  piece.  Mutton,  hind  quarter,  is.  id., 
fore  ditto,  nd.  The  Brigadier-General  further  gives 
notice,  that  tripe  is  to  be  had  at  a  reasonable  price  ; 
and  that  geese  are  grazed  on  his  grounds  at  id.  a  head 
per  week,  the  ganders  to  pay  double. 

In  response  to  this  notice  Coffin  received  a 
number  of  orders,  but  henceforth  he  would  only 
fatten  cattle  and  fowls  for  his  own  private  con- 
sumption. 

Henry,  who  appears  to  have  been  the  humorist 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  143 

of  his  regiment,  further  enlivened  the  garrison  of 
Saint  Helena  by  another  practical  joke  at  the 
expense  of  another  general  of  the  name  of  Keir. 

This  officer,  on  a  visit  to  the  island  on  his  way 
home  from  India,  was  riding  to  Deadwood  from 
Jamestown  mounted  on  Emperor,  a  big  restive 
steed,  quick  to  run  away,  which  Mr.  Balcombe, 
Betsy's  father,  had  lent  him.  Being  a  poor  horse- 
man, he  drew  in  the  reins  tightly  and  kept  a  sharp 
look-out  as  he  skirted  the  Devil's  Punch  Bowl. 
The  abyss  was  on  his  left  ;  on  his  right  the  vertical 
sides  of  high  rocks  ;  and  between  the  chasm  and  the 
wall,  the  road,  barely  twelve  feet  wide,  neither 
protected  by  a  parapet  nor  even  bordered  by  a 
ledge. 

Mrs.  Abell  relates  that  Napoleon,  during  the  first 
year  of  the  Captivity,  would  often  cross  this 
dangerous  pass  in  his  carriage  drawn  by  three  Cape 
horses  yoked  abreast  and  driven  at  full  gallop.  It 
had  no  terrors  for  Henry  either,  as  will  be  seen.  But 
General  Keir  felt  uneasy. 

Emperor  began  to  show  signs  of  impatience  ;  Keir 
was  lavishing  exhortations  upon  him  and  trying  to 
pacify  him  by  terms  of  endearment,  when  Henry 
made  his  appearance  in  the  opposite  direction  on  a 
reasonable  beast  called  Whiskey,  whose  only  vice  was 
to  shy  at  round-shaped  objects  in  motion.  Now,  on 
this  road  that  led  to  a  camp  unsupplied  with 
drinkable  water,  soldiers  rolled  casks  at  every 
moment.     When    Whiskey   raised  objections  to  the 


144  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

approach  of  a  barrel,  Henry,  who  was  an  excellent 
rider,  turned  him  round  towards  the  precipice,  and 
Whiskey,  rather  than  jump  into  the  precipice,  jumped 
over  the  barrel,  with  a  bound  always  marvellous  to 
behold. 

As  soon  as  the  General  was  within  call  of  the 
assistant-surgeon,  he  saluted  him  first  most  graciously 
and  asked  :  "  Pray  do  you  ride  a  quiet  horse, 
Doctor?" — "Very."  —  "Then  you  will  do  me  a 
particular  favour  if  you  will  exchange  with  me  for 
the  day,  for  I  am  sure  this  savage  animal  will  land 
me  in  the  Punch  Bowl  before  I  get  to  Deadwood." 
— "  Certainly,  General,  with  much  pleasure." 

Henry  gave  Keir  and  Whiskey  time  to  move 
away,  and  did  not  hasten  to  mount  Emperor.  He 
had  just  noticed  at  some  distance  on  the  road 
about  twenty  men  on  fatigue  duty  coming  from 
the  camp  busily  pushing  along  some  empty  casks, 
and  thought  that  he  would  enjoy  the  impending  scene 
better  on  foot  than  in  the  saddle. 

As  Whiskey  drew  near  to  the  file  of  barrels  he 
became  nervous,  pricked  up  his  ears  and,  by  force  of 
habit,  sidled  close  to  the  edge  of  the  abyss.  His 
rider,  in  his  surprise  and  anxiety,  unintentionally 
thrust  his  spurs  into  him,  and  the  gallant  animal 
without  any  further  hesitation  took  a  spring,  and 
cleared  the  twenty  barrels  in  twenty  masterly  leaps, 
while  General  Keir,  with  his  legs  dangling,  clung  to 
his  neck,  and  the  soldiers  in  a  transport  of  delight 
made  the  air  ring  with  their  enthusiastic  cheers. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  145 

"  How,"  scoffs  the  pitiless  Henry,  "  the  astonished 
Brigadier  managed  to  stick  to  the  horse  is  a  point  I 
could  never  satisfactorily  make  out." 

The  equestrian  feats  of  a  general  of  the  Indian 
army,  Coffin's  skill  in  converting  lean  cows  into  fat 
cows  and  his  art  of  selling  cutlets,  the  concupiscence 
of  Plampin,  the  impudence  of  Theodore  Hook,  the 
outbursts  of  virtuous  indignation  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boys, 
and  the  obedient  bells  of  his  colleague,  Mr.  Vernon, 
gathered  together  here  in  a  few  pages,  may  produce 
a  false  impression,  and  give  the  idea  that  Saint 
Helena  was  not  perhaps  so  dull  after  all.  In  reality, 
these  entertaining  incidents  occurred  at  intervals  in 
the  space  of  four  years  ;  they  were  about  the  only 
occasions  for  laughter  or  smiles  throughout  that 
period  of  time  in  the  island  where  Hudson  Lowe 
and  tedium  reigned.  The  history  of  the  Captivity 
is  not  a  cheerful  one  ;  it  contains  few  amusing 
characters.  When  one  has  taken  stock  of  the  five 
or  six  that  precede,  there  only  remains  one — the 
Marquis  de  Montchenu,  the  envoy  of  His  Most 
Christian   Majesty   King  Louis  xviii. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  181 6,  the  inhabitants 
of  Jamestown  had  witnessed  the  arrival  of  a  fat, 
red-faced  man,  with  powdered  bobtailed-wig,  per- 
spiring, scared  and  panting,  who  raised  his  arms 
heavenward  and  kept  repeating  the  lamentation, 
"Mercy  on  us!  Mercy  on  us!  What  a  horrible 
rock!  And  to  think  that  they  only  speak  English 
here  !  " 


146  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

After  this  burlesque  entry  on  the  tragic  scene  m 
which  he  was  to  play  a  comic  part,  the  French 
Commissioner,  dreading  the  solitude  of  Rosemary 
Hall,  near  Plantation,  where  his  Austrian  and 
Russian  colleagues  had  taken  up  their  quarters, 
elected  to  remain  in  the  town.  There  he  paraded  in 
a  uniform  with  big  epaulets  and  a  harmless  sword. 
A  page  of  Louis  xv.  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  later 
a  chevau-léger,  a  lieutenant  of  dragoons,  a  captain, 
a  so-called  colonel,  and  finally,  for  a  long  time,  an 
emigre,  he  had  just  been  promoted  to  the  astounding 
rank  of  a  maréchal  de  camp.  "  I  know  him,"  said 
Napoleon  on  hearing  of  his  arrival  ;  "  he  is  an  old  fool, 
an  old  dotard,  a  mock  general  who  has  never  once 
smelt  powder."  And  as  the  Marquis,  infatuated  with 
his  nobility,  perpetually  boasted  of  his  birth  and 
titles,  the  Emperor  scoffed  at  him  again,  saying  : 
"True  enough,  he  is  a  hereditary  ass;  Bertrand,  a 
plebeian,  is  worth  an  army  of  Montchenus  !  " 

Moreover  every  one  laughed  at  the  fellow.  He 
only  half  inspired  the  Government  of  Paris  with 
confidence,  and  they  had  given  him  the  assistance  of 
a  secretary  called  Gors,  whose  business  it  was  to 
look  after  him,  and  whose  sarcastic  pen  wrote  a 
postscript  to  each  of  his  reports.  Baron  Sturmer  and 
Count  Balmain  rated  him  a  topsy-turvy  diplomat,  an 
ignorant  and  pedantic  chatterbox.  The  Helenians, 
being  far  less  impressed  by  his  military  airs  than 
struck  by  his  loquacity  and  his  false  tresses,  dubbed 
him    "the    French  hairdresser."     He  even  endowed 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  147 

Hudson  Lowe  with  a  talent  for  epigram,  and  we  are 
indebted  to  the  Governor  for  this  amusing  remark  : 
"According  to  the  marquis,  the  French  Revolution 
was  the  work  of  the  wits  of  his  country.  He  evidently 
took  no  part  in  it." 

Although  his  exterior  had  always  been  diverting 
rather  than  alluring,  Monsieur  de  Montchenu,  whose 
fatuity  was  as  great  as  his  vanity,  was  wont  to 
reckon  the  number  of  his  feminine  conquests  at 
several  thousands.  At  sixty,  he  still  considered 
himself  irresistible.  But  when  one  day  he  tried  to 
deposit  a  kiss  on  the  cheek  of  Mrs.  Martin,  the  lean 
and  elderly  landlady  of  his  lodgings  at  Jamestown, 
this  model  of  British  respectability  uttered  screams 
so  piercing  that  they  put  the  whole  place  in  a  flutter. 
His  infatuation  for  Lady  Lowe,  without  causing 
a  similar  scandal,  also  gained  indiscreet  notoriety. 
Encouraged  by  the  malicious  lady  of  Plantation,  he 
wrote  her  an  ardent  letter  of  eight  pages,  which  she 
kept  preciously  and  would  often  show  to  her  friends. 

This  royal  emissary,  who  had  many  failings,  was, 
besides,  as  prone  to  petty  slander  as  a  porter's  wife, 
addicted  to  greediness  and,  according  to  general 
opinion,  not  over  generous. 

In  a  correspondence  divulged  by  European 
newspapers,  he  put  a  construction  upon  the  games 
and  liberties  of  the  roguish  Betsy  with  Napoleon 
that  incensed  Mr.  Balcombe,  and  provoked  a  keen 
desire  for  revenge  on  the  part  of  the  compromised 
girl.     At    the  suggestion  of  the  Emperor,   who   had 


148  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

promised  her  a  beautiful  fan,  Betsy  was  bent  upon 
seizing  the  wig  of  the  Marquis  and  cutting  off  the 
tail  :  a  plan  from  which  she  was  with  difficulty 
dissuaded  by  her  mother. 

Montchenu,  dubbed  hairdresser  on  his  arrival,  re- 
ceived another  nickname  from  the  English  officers  : 
that  of  Mr.  Montez  chez  nous.  He  owed  it  to  the 
alacrity  with  which  he  availed  himself  of  all  invitations 
without  ever  returning  them.  He  complained  of  the 
mediocrity  of  the  evening  parties  at  Saint  Helena, 
which,  he  said,  only  cost  three  or  four  bottles  of  wine, 
a  little  pastry,  and  some  candles  ;  he  missed  none  of 
them,  drank  his  bottle  of  wine,  stuffed  himself  with 
pastry,  and  never  lit  a  candle  for  anybody.  His 
appetite  was  so  formidable  that  he  could  easily  have 
devoured  one  of  Coffin's  sheep  by  his  single  efforts, 
but  in  vain  would  the  butcher-general  have  pestered 
him  with  his  bills  ;  nothing  would  ever  have  induced 
him  to  pay  for  so  much  as  an  ounce  of  the  meat. 

As  a  result  of  over-eating  he  suffered  from 
stomach-ache.  Dr.  Henry,  who  was  called  in,  went 
to  Mrs.  Martin's  house  and  found  the  burly  Marquis, 
his  face  ablaze,  breathing  loudly,  with  his  coat  off,  and 
his  waistcoat  unbuttoned.  He  was  perusing  a  medical 
text-book,  and  begged  the  assistant-surgeon  to  help 
him  in  his  researches  to  discover  the  nature  of  his 
complaint.  Henry,  who  surmised  that  Monsieur  de 
Montchenu's  request  was  an  attempt  to  convert  the 
consultation  into  one  of  those  small  services  that  do 
not  involve  remuneration,  made  light  of  the  text-book, 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  149 

and  condemned  the  glutton,  on  his  sole  authority,  to 
the  torture  of  a  severe  diet. 

He  afterwards  paid  him  about  fifty  visits,  and  ex- 
pected either  a  fee  or  a  present  of  some  work  of 
art.  But  all  he  was  ever  to  receive  was  the  follow- 
ing extremely  flattering  letter,  in  which  his  distin- 
guished patient  bade  him  farewell  on  his  departure 
from  the  island  at  the  end  of  the  Captivity  :  "  Dear 
Doctor,  I  do  not  know  whether  I  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  before  your  embarkation,  to 
thank  you  once  more  for  your  kind  attentions  to  me 
during  my  illness.  They  have  been  extremely  useful 
to  me  ;  and  my  esteem,  my  gratitude,  and  my  bound- 
less devotion  are  so  deeply  graven  in  my  heart  as  to 
be  ineffaceable." 

"Who  would  exchange  such  a  note  for  a  gold 
snuff-box  ?  "  asks  the  doctor,  laughing  awry,  for  he 
would  have  preferred  even  a  silver  one. 

To  judge  by  Henry's  pen,  which  had  sarcastic 
tendencies,  Count  Balmain,  on  an  occasion  and  under 
circumstances  of  a  particular  nature,  proved  almost 
as  entertaining  a  character  as  his  colleague  Montchenu. 
According-  to  all  the  evidence,  the  Russian  Com- 
missioner  was  a  diplomat  of  much  tact  and  discretion, 
a  nobleman  with  polished  manners.  But  perhaps  the 
assistant-surgeon  was  prejudiced  against  him.  Lady 
Lowe,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  had  twro 
grown-up  daughters  by  a  previous  marriage  with 
Colonel  William  Johnson.  Charlotte,  the  elder,  was 
charming.     Her  regular  features,  her  clear  blue  eyes, 


i5o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

her  flaxen  hair  which  fell  in  curls  about  her  shoulders, 
and,  lastly,  her  mother's  delicate  skin  and  vivacious 
spirits,  would  have  attracted  attention  and  suitors 
everywhere.  At  Saint  Helena  half  the  young 
officers  of  the  garrison  fell  in  love  with  her,  and 
cherished  hopes  of  obtaining  her  hand.  To  her  score 
of  military  wooers  she  preferred  the  envoy  of  the 
Czar.  Henry  was  probably  among  the  rejected  and 
the  disappointed.  Might  this  not  be  his  motive  in 
ridiculing  the  Count's  courtship  of  Miss  Johnson,  and 
the  successful  issue  of  that  courtship  ? 

"  We  used  to  meet  him  at  dinner  at  Plantation 
House,"  he  relates,  "and  when  the  gentlemen  left 
their  wine  to  join  the  ladies  in  the  drawing-room,  the 
Count,  another  officer  of  my  regiment  and  myself, 
generally  retired  together.  On  seeing  Miss  Johnson 
sitting  between  her  mother  and  Lady  Bingham,  the 
enraptured  Commissioner  would  give  his  arm  to  each 
of  us  and  saunter  in  front  of  the  ladies — nudging  us 
every  minute  or  two,  gazing  on  the  betrothed  and 
pointing  out  her  various  charms,  en  connoisseur,  with 
the  greatest  enthusiasm.  '  Look,  my  dear  friend — 
O  ciel!  what  a  neck — Dieu  d'Amour!  what  an 
exquisite  bust  ! — what  a  profile  ! — what  an  expression  ! 
— what  an  ensemble  of  charms  !  '  Of  course,  as  in 
duty  bound,  we  could  only  acquiesce.  '  Look  at  the 
attitude  !'  he  would  resume, — '  How  delightfully  easy  ! 
— How  graceful!'  —  'Happy  Count,  with  such  a 
prospect — but  you  will  be  furieusement  jaloux — you 
will  let  nobody  speak  to  your  wife — n  est-ce  pas  vrai? 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  151 

'  Oh  que  non, — pas  du  tout,  je  vous  jure — but  see, 
Lady  Bingham  rises — il  faut  me  nicher — il  faut  me 
nicher.     Adieu! 

"Count  Balmain  married  the  lady  after  a  long 
courtship.  She  was  young  and  handsome,  and  the 
gentleman  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  There  was 
a  gay  wedding  at  Plantation  House,  and  great  mirth 
and  enjoyment.  At  dawn  the  next  morning  a  dis- 
consolate individual  was  noticed  wandering  alone 
through  the  grounds,  and  the  gossip  of  the  island 
amused  itself  for  a  week  with  various  stories  of  some 
trick  that  had  been  played,  and  of  shut  doors  and 
barricaded  bed-chambers.   ..." 

Whether  the  first  night  was  celebrated  in  this  un- 
usual manner  or  according  to  custom,  the  marriage 
of  Count  Balmain  is  an  interesting  fact  in  the  history 
of  Saint  Helena.  It  suggests  a  reflection,  and  invites 
an  observation.  For  two  years,  a  diplomat,  whose 
likeness  is  not  to  be  found  in  Henry's  caricature, 
courts  Miss  Johnson.  Being  greatly  enamoured  of 
the  young  lady,  his  keenest  desire,  for  the  success  of 
his  enterprise,  is  to  live  on  good  terms  with  her  step- 
father, Sir  Hudson  Lowe.  He  makes  every  effort  to 
do  so,  but  cannot  attain  his  object,  so  that  hardly  for 
an  instant  does  his  correspondence  cease  to  be  un- 
favourable to  the  impossible  officiai  to  whom  he  is  to 
be  allied.  Would  this  be  the  case  if  the  latter  had 
possessed  the  excellent  nature  and  half  the  virtues 
attributed  to  him  by  Forsyth  and  Seaton  ?  Is  it  not 
amazing  that  Count  Balmain,  on  the  point  of  entering 


j  52  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  Governor's  family,  should  be  obliged  to  criticise, 
to  blame  his  actions,  just  like  Baron  Sturmer,  whose 
orders  expressly  directed  him  to  remain  in  constant 
agreement  with  Plantation,  and  like  the  Marquis  de 
Montchenu,  a  man  of  meagre  intelligence,  no  doubt, 
but  a  fervent  Legitimist,  a  representative  of  a  form  of 
government  and  of  a  king  pre-eminently  hostile  to 
Buonaparte  ? 

The  fact  is  that  by  Hudson  Lowe's  fault,  because 
of  his  ill-will  and  suspicious  disposition,  the  Com- 
missioners led  an  extraordinary  and  particularly 
wretched  life  at  Saint  Helena.  The  island  was  an 
abode  even  more  execrable  to  them  than  to  the  officers 
of  the  English  garrison.  According  to  their  instruc- 
tions, they  were  to  pay  frequent  visits  to  Napoleon, 
to  watch  his  attitude,  to  satisfy  themselves  that  he 
did  not  harbour  any  project  of  escape  ;  in  short,  to 
reassure  Louis  xvin.,  Francis  n.  and  the  Czar 
Alexander  on  his  account.  Unfortunately,  as  has 
already  been  said,  the  Emperor  refused  to  receive 
them.  To  allow  the  three  envoys  to  enter  his 
presence,  to  inspect  his  house,  and  to  examine  his 
face,  would  have  been — he  justly  considered — to 
admit  that  he  was  the  prisoner  of  the  sovereigns  of 
France,  of  Austria  and  of  Russia,  into  whose  hands 
he  had  never  fallen  ;  he  did  not  even  admit  to  being 
the  prisoner  of  England,  to  whom  he  had  entrusted 
his  person.  In  order,  therefore,  to  draw  up  the 
reports  that  were  expected  from  them  in  Europe,  the 
Marquis    de    Montchenu,    Baron    von    Sturmer,   and 


THE  TEDIUM   OF  SAINT  HELENA  153 

Count  Balmain  were  obliged  to  apply  to  Plantation 
for  details  about  Longwood.  But  Hudson  Lowe 
immediately  took  umbrage  at  a  mission,  every  member 
of  which  could,  like  himself,  claim  to  be  the  repre- 
sentative at  Saint  Helena  of  a  great  Power,  and 
would,  perhaps,  maintain  a  right  to  exercise  a  control 
over  the  affairs  of  the  Captivity  rivalling  his  own. 
Whenever  the  Commissioners  had  recourse  to  him 
he  received  them  coldly,  answered  their  questions 
wrong  or  not  at  all,  became  impatient,  irritated,  and 
rude  to  the  point  of  insolence. 

The  diplomats  consequently  looked  elsewhere  for 
their  information.  In  their  search  for  news,  they 
paced  up  and  down  the  high  street  of  Jamestown, 
trudsred  about  the  island,  and  rambled  around 
Longwood.  They  interrogated  the  inhabitants  and 
the  soldiers  of  the  garrison,  who  either  knew  nothing, 
or  lured  them  with  idle  gossip  and  fictitious  stories. 
With  the  aid  of  telescopes,  and  at  a  discreet  distance, 
they  carefully  scanned  Napoleon's  enclosure  ;  and  the 
ironical  Englishmen  constantly  caught  Austria,  Russia 
and  the  France  of  Louis  xviii.  watching  behind  some 
rock,  on  the  top  of  an  eminence,  for  the  appearance 
of  the  Emperor's  invisible  three-cornered  hat. 

Discouraged  by  public  derision,  they  made  use 
of  a  last  resource.  Their  instructions  forbade  them 
to  associate  with  the  persons  of  Bonaparte's  suite  ; 
under  the  circumstances  they  considered  themselves 
authorised  to  violate  them.  Although  Napoleon  did 
not  leave  Longwood,  his  companions  sometimes  went 


154  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

out  under  the  escort  of  an  officer.  The  Commissioners 
and  the  French  exiles  met  in  the  island,  bowed  to 
one  another,  and  finally  entered  into  conversation. 
Little  by  little  friendly  relations  were  established. 
General  Gourgaud  was  fond  of  riding  ;  Baron  Sturmer 
and  Count  Balmain  fell  into  the  habit  of  accompany- 
ing him.  General  de  Montholon  sometimes  visited 
Jamestown  ;  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  giving  the 
lie  to  his  nickname  by  showing  hospitality,  invited 
him  to  come  up  to  his  rooms  and  offered  him  refresh- 
ments. Henceforth,  the  diplomats  obtained  some 
information  about  Napoleon  to  send  to  Europe.  But 
Hudson  Lowe  harassed  them  with  abusive  letters, 
treating  their  rides  and  libations  with  the  people  of 
Longivood  as  criminal  offences,  the  pretext  of  which 
was  to  obtain  from  them  information  they  could  easily 
procure  from  himself!  He  summoned  the  Com- 
missioners to  Plantation.  Far  from  obtaining  any 
intelligence  there,  however,  they  were  once  more 
assailed  with  questions,  reprimanded,  and  almost 
insulted  :  "  I  am  driven,"  the  envoy  of  Louis  xviii. 
one  day  wrote  to  Count  de  Montholon — "  I  am 
driven  to  coveting  your  position,  although  it  is  dis- 
tasteful to  you.  Console  yourself,  for,  if  you  do 
not  see  much  society,  you  at  least  live  with  persons 
who  have  the  manners  of  France." 

Weary  of  the  Governor's  unfair  dealings,  and 
conscious,  even  unto  the  pompous  Marquis  de 
Montchenu,  of  the  uselessness  of  their  mission  in 
an    island   where   nothing  ever  happened,    where    in 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  155 

all  probability  no  event  other  than  the  slow  death 
of  Napoleon  was  pending,  or  would  ever  take  place, 
the  three  diplomats  longed  to  leave  Saint  Helena. 

The  most  impatient  to  depart,  and  the  most 
unhappy,  was  perhaps  the  Austrian.  He  had  the 
advantage  of  youth  over  his  colleagues,  being  barely 
thirty  years  of  age  ;  a  pretty  and  devoted  wife 
kept  him  company.  But  Hudson  Lowe  particularly 
detested  and  harassed  him. 

"Great  courage  and  resignation  are  required," 
he  wrote  to  Prince  Metternich,  "to  endure  this 
exile.  Few  are  as  sad.  Everything  here  speaks  of 
remoteness  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  .  .  .  Madame 
Sturmer  charms  and  embellishes  my  existence  ;  we 
were  made  for  one  another,  and  there  was  never 
a  happier  union.  Without  such  a  companion, 
melancholy  would,  no  doubt,  have  already  overcome 
me,  and  I  should  not  be  able  to  reach  the  prescribed 
term  of  my  residence  here  without  succumbing  to  it." 

At  the  end  of  18 17  he  fell  ill.  He  was  seized 
with  a  kind  of  hysteria,  which  made  him  laugh 
nervously  and  weep  by  turns.  During  the  six 
months  that  followed,  the  attacks  recurred  ;  he  had 
convulsions  in  the  course  of  which  four  men  could 
only  hold  him  down  with  great  difficulty.  At  that 
moment  the  British  Government  requested  his  recall 
to  Vienna  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Hudson  Lowe. 
A  sudden,  premature  order  of  departure  in  July,  181 8, 
restored  him  to  health,  and  perhaps  saved  his  life. 

When  Baron  Sturmer  embarked,  Count  Balmain 


156  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

had  just  written  to  Count  Nesselrode  at  Saint  Peters- 
burg :  "  Since  the  three  years  of  my  residence  at 
Saint  Helena  expire  on  the  18th  of  June,  1818,  I 
think  fit  to  make  use  of  the  first  opportunity  avail- 
able to  return  to  Europe,  and  cannot  refrain  from 
informing  your  Excellency  that,  far  from  becoming 
acclimatised  on  this  dreadful  rock,  I  suffer  constantly 
from  my  nerves.  ..." 

But  the  Russian  Commissioner  falls  in  love  with 
Miss  Johnson,  and  in  his  eagerness  to  obtain  her 
hand,  resigns  himself  to  stay  some  time  longer  in 
an  island  of  which  he  has  said  in  another  letter  : 
"  Of  all  places  on  earth,  this  is  the  saddest,  the 
most  inaccessible,  the  easiest  to  defend,  the  hardest 
to  attack,  the  most  expensive,  and,  above  all,  the  best 
adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  now  used." 

He  was  to  leave  it  immediately  after  his  marriage, 
in  the  middle  of  1820  ;  with  what  joy  may  be  readily 
imagined. 

Henceforth,  the  only  diplomat  to  remain  with 
Hudson  Lowe  is  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  who 
complains  in  almost  all  his  reports  to  the  Cabinet 
in  Paris  of  this  infernal  rock,  and  repeats  in  a 
hundred  different  ways  the  opinion  he  expressed 
on  his  arrival:  "This  is  the  most  isolated  spot  on 
earth,  the  most  inaccessible,  the  poorest,  and  the 
most  unsociable.  ..."  A  sense  of  gratified  pride 
and  an  increase  of  emoluments  were  alone  to  give 
him  the  requisite  fortitude  to  await  the  end  of  the 
Captivity.      From  the   moment  of   Baron   Stunner's 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  157 

departure,  the  imposing  figure  of  the  Marquis 
personifies,  at  Saint  Helena,  two  great  Powers  ;  he 
already  represented  France,  now  he  also  represents 
Austria. 

The  torment  of  tedium  in  the  island  of  exile 
had,  like  the  torments  described  by  Dante,  its 
degrees,  its  circles  of  aggravation.  It  has  just  been 
seen  in  its  progressive  stages  from  the  Yamstocks 
to  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  from  the  latter 
to  the  Commissioners.  Jamestown  was  an  unlovely 
place,  Deadwood  a  dull  camp,  and  Rosemary  Hall, 
where  Baron  Sturmer  and  Count  Balmain  became 
neurasthenic,  a  gloomy  residence.  But  nowhere  did 
the  hours  of  Saint  Helena  appear  longer  and  sadder 
than  at  Longwood. 

In  vain  the  Emperor  sought  occupations  for 
his  captivity  ;  in  vain  he  tried  to  while  away  his 
henceforth  aimless  days  in  conversations,  reading, 
and  historical  labours.  Every  day  seemed  to  him 
a  year — an  empty  year. 

In  the  morning,  as  far  as  possible,  he  prolonged 
his  slumbers,  disturbed  by  the  reveille  and  the 
musters  of  the  English  bivouac,  where  the  fifers 
sounded  their  shrill  notes.  Then  he  rang  for 
Marchand  and  asked  that  faithful  valet,  who  had 
served  him  since  181 1,  and  had  already  followed  him 
to  the  island  of  Elba  :  "  What  sort  of  weather  is  it, 
my  good  fellow? — Open  the  window,  give  me 
air  ..."  Marchand  raised  the  two  sash-windows 
at  the  bottom  and  pushed  back  the  shutters.     Some- 


158  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

times  the  dazzling  rays  of  a  tropical  sun  would  stream 
in,  and  Napoleon,  from  his  bed,  could  perceive  the 
grey  barracks  and  the  white  tents  of  Deadwood 
camp  at  the  foot  of  Flagstaff  Hill.  More  often 
a  mist  completely  shut  out  the  view,  and  the  sky 
being  overcast  and  rainy,  the  little  bed-room  was 
only  dimly  lit  up. 

It  measured  fifteen  feet  by  twelve,  and  nine  feet 
in  height.  The  walls  were  covered  with  common 
brown  nankeen,  bordered  by  a  strip  of  flowered  paper, 
and  the  floor  displayed  a  wretched  faded  carpet. 
The  furniture  supplied  by  the  British  Government 
for  that  part  of  the  imperial  apartments  consisted  of 
a  cane-bottomed  beech-wood  armchair,  painted  green  ; 
four  or  five  other  chairs  to  match  ;  a  round  table  ;  a 
disjointed  chest  of  drawers  ;  and  an  old  sofa.  How- 
ever, a  magnificent  wash-stand,  with  its  silver  ewer 
and  basin,  shone  in  a  corner,  but  Napoleon  had 
brought  it  from  France,  as  well  as  two  candle- 
sticks, two  flasks,  and  two  silver-gilt  cups,  which 
had  been  removed  from  his  big"  dressino-case,  and 
now  stood  in  surprising  contrast  to  their  surround- 
ings before  a  tarnished  mirror,  on  the  board 
that  formed  the  mantelshelf  of  a  dilapidated  fire- 
place. 

The  windows,  hung  with  muslin  curtains,  and  the 
chest  of  drawers  between  them,  where  the  Emperor 
kept  his  linen,  occupied  one  side  of  the  room. 
Against  the  opposite  wall  stretched  the  sofa  and 
the  bed — the   latter  a  little  iron  bedstead,    the  field- 


.      e 


—  rt    S      . 

c   «  •  c  -=   o,    ■ 

^    u  "o  "    i    u  £ 

g  j=  u  o  .5  .b    o 

_2  U  -  «  £  fa  «i 


>  H  -  -  —  s. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  159 

bed  in  which  Napoleon  had  slept  on  the  eve  of 
Marengo  and  Austerlitz.  The  fire-place  was  situated 
in  the  middle  of  the  right-hand  wall,  and  a  door  on 
the  left  gave  access  to  another  room,  a  study  of  like 
dimensions,  lighting,  hangings,  and  carpet,  and  even 
less  luxurious. 

It  was  in  this  shabby  interior  that  the  Emperor 
spent  almost  all  his  mornings,  attired  in  a  white 
quilted  dressing-gown  of  dimity,  closely  fitting  white 
trousers  with  heel-straps,  in  slippers,  and  frequently 
retaining  around  his  head  the  red  bandana  handker- 
chief which  he  wore  at  night. 

When  Napoleon  rose,  Marchand  brought  him  a 
cup  of  tea,  of  black  coffee  or  of  coffee  with  milk,  which 
he  took  at  the  round  table,  and  shortly  afterwards,  as  a 
rule,  Dr.  O'Meara,  who  was  wont  to  come  and  inquire 
after  his  health,  sent  in  his  name.  Napoleon  always 
received  him  well,  not  out  of  respect  for  the  medical 
profession,  in  which  he  had  little  faith,  but  for  a 
motive  entirely  unconnected  with  medicine.  Great 
men  have  failings,  detestable  in  ordinary  mortals, 
but  amusing,  never  unpleasant  in  them,  because  man- 
kind likes  to  see  heroes  descend  occasionally  to  its 
level.  The  Emperor  had  at  all  times  been  inquisitive 
—  inquisitive  about  the  merest  trifles,  the  little 
incidents  of  everyday  life.  At  the  Tuileries  he 
would  listen  complacently  to  his  valet  and  his  hair- 
dresser who  brought  him  the  rumours  of  Paris.  At 
Elba,  having  a  poor  opinion  of  the  science  of  Dr. 
Foureau    de     Beauregard,     he    only    kept    him    on 


i6o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

account  of  his  anecdotes.  At  Saint  Helena,  O'Meara 
was  the  newsmonger  from  whom,  every  morning, 
he  expected  to  hear  the  gossip  of  town  and  camp, 
of  Jamestown  and  Deadwood. 

Only  a  Forsyth  or  a  Seaton  could  reproach  the 
recluse  of  Longwood  for  having  taken  a  certain 
interest  in  the  rackety  outings  of  Lady  Lowe,  and 
the  sermons  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boys  ;  for  the  amuse- 
ment he  found,  at  rare  intervals,  in  the  love  which 
an  admiral  shared  with  midshipmen,  or  in  the 
addition  made  by  Theodore  Hook  to  the  list  of 
chest  diseases,  already  so  long.  Unfortunately  the 
Emperor's  curiosity  was  accompanied  by  indiscretion. 
While  reserved  as  regards  politics,  in  masters  of 
private  life  he  displayed  incorrigible  loquacity, 
repeated  everything  confided  to  him,  and  never  failed 
to  declare  with  childlike  candour  :  "  I  had  it  from 
so-and-so."  It  sometimes  resulted  in  serious  annoy- 
ances for  O'Meara,  of  whose  complacency  and  freedom 
of  speech  the  Governor,  intent  on  maintaining  a 
deathlike  silence  around  Longwood,  was  informed 
by  his  police. 

The  English  surgeon  had  frequently,  besides,  the 
disagreeable  task  of  bearing  to  Napoleon  messages 
from  Hudson  Lowe  that  infuriated  the  Emperor. 
But  when  the  latter  had  given  vent  to  his  anger  by 
a  few  excusable  invectives  against  his  gaoler,  he 
would  return  to  the  past  ;  in  contrast  with  the  base 
British  treatment,  he  would  comment  on  the  lofty 
achievements  of  his  career,  and   the  doctor  gleaned 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  161 

from  his  lips  the  materials  for  an  invaluable  diary, 
destined  to  become  celebrated. 

The  Emperor  conversed  with  the  physician  in 
Italian.  It  was  his  habit  during  the  Captivity  to 
employ  this  language  with  Englishmen  ;  not  that  it 
suited  him  better  than  French,  as  was  maintained  in 
London,  but  because  many  officers  who  had  served 
in  Sicily  and  Calabria  were  familiar  with  it,  whereas 
they  did  not  know  French.  Far,  indeed,  from  being 
fluent,  Napoleon's  Italian,  as  we  learn  from  Meneval, 
was  often  merely  French  to  which  he  added  termina- 
tions in  i,  in  o,  and  in  a. 

After  O'Meara's  visit,  the  Emperor  generally 
spent  the  rest  of  his  morning  reading. 

At  times,  placing  his  book  on  a  desk  fixed  to 
the  sides,  he  would  read  in  his  bath,  installed  in  a 
narrow  closet  next  to  the  bedroom — a  kind  of  recess, 
the  entrance  of  which  was  hidden  by  a  screen  set 
up  near  the  bed  and  sofa.  As  a  rule,  however, 
Napoleon  read  reclining  on  the  worn-out  calico- 
covered  piece  of  furniture  last  mentioned.  He  was 
fond  of  this  place,  whence  he  could  contemplate  a 
picture  by  Isabey,  which  hung  on  a  panel  of  the  wall 
opposite,  and  represented  the  King  of  Rome  in  the 
arms  of  Marie- Louise.  Beside  it,  a  little  farther  to 
the  right,  on  the  white-painted  board  over  the  fire- 
place, between  the  two  silver-gilt  candlesticks,  the 
Emperor  had  a  little  marble  bust  of  his  son  ;  and, 
along  the  uprights  of  the  tarnished  mirror,  four 
miniatures,     also     by     Isabey    or    Aimée    Thibault, 


1 62  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

portrayed  the  child,  now  in  a  helmet-shaped  cradle, 
now  on  a  cushion  trying  on  a  slipper  ;  here  again 
riding  a  sheep  decked  out  with  ribands,  there  on  his 
knees,  with  his  hands  clasped  together,  in  the  act  of 
saying  his  evening  prayer.  A  picture  of  the  Empress 
Josephine,  the  gold  watch  of  Rivoli,  suspended  by 
a  chain  made  of  the  plaited  hair  of  Marie- Louise,  and 
the  big  silver  repeater,  the  alarum-clock  of  Frederick 
il,  taken  at  Potsdam,  completed  the  list  of  those 
souvenirs  and  relics  that  Napoleon  liked  to  see  before 
him  whenever  he  raised  his  eyes  from  his  book. 

For  greater  convenience,  when  engaged  in  read- 
ing, he  covered  the  round  table,  the  chairs  placed 
within  his  reach,  and  all  the  available  room  on  the 
sofa,  with  quartos,  octavos,  and  folios.  Even  the  most 
important  works  only  kept  him  occupied  for  a  very 
short  time  ;  in  three  days,  Madame  de  Montholon 
relates,  he  looked  through  the  twenty-two  volumes 
of  the  Histoire  dît  Bas- Empire,  by  Le  Beau.  Indeed, 
he  read  with  the  thumb,  to  use  his  own  expression  ; 
but  rapidly  as  he  turned  over  the  pages,  he  never 
failed  to  discover  the  interesting  passages,  which 
he  noted  and  always  remembered.  If  an  author 
happened  to  weary  him,  he  would  send  him  to  the 
wall  with  an  ill-humoured  gesture,  or  hurl  him  across 
the  room.  Books  wide  open  and  bindings  with  the 
corners  broken  soon  littered  the  floor,  and  every 
morning  Saint- Denis,  the  second  valet,  spent  a  good 
half-hour  picking  up  the  wounded  to  carry  them  by 
armfuls  to  the  library. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  163 

The  library,  we  have  seen,  took  up  the  left 
end  of  the  transversal  building  in  the  T  formed  by 
the  Emperor's  apartments.  It  was  separated  from 
the  bedroom,  at  the  other  extremity,  by  the  dining- 
room  and  the  study.  The  trade-wind  and  the  spray 
to  which  it  was  exposed  on  two  sides,  together  with 
the  absence  of  a  fireplace,  made  it  a  damp,  cold 
chamber,  and  neither  Napoleon  nor  his  companions 
ever  sat  there.  It  was  painted  green,  and  completely 
bare,  but  for  some  cupboards  with  glass  doors  and 
a  few  tables,  and  was  only  used  as  a  warehouse  for 
about  a  thousand  volumes  at  the  begqnninsr  of  the 
Captivity,  for  three  thousand  to  three  thousand  five 
hundred  at  the  end. 

On  his  instalment  at  Longwood,  Napoleon  had 
immediately  requested  the  British  Government  for 
books,  and  supplied  a  list  of  those  that  he  desired. 
In  June  181 6  he  received  about  ten  cases,  filled  in 
part  with  unexpected  works,  inferior  editions,  and 
odd  volumes.  The  English  ministers  had  forwarded 
the  stock-in-trade  of  a  London  bookseller.  At  the 
same  time,  with  the  generosity  of  which  they  were 
to  give  so  many  examples,  they  sent  in  the  bill — an 
exorbitant  bill. 

Enlightened  by  this  experience,  the  Emperor 
thereafter  applied  to  private  correspondents.  But 
even  the  smallest  pamphlet  destined  for  the  prisoner 
of  Saint  Helena  had  to  bear  Lord  Bathurst's  visa, 
and  Napoleon  rarely  saw  the  arrival  of  new  books. 
He   unpacked  them  with  his  own  hands,  and  when 


1 64  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

they  were  sufficiently  numerous  to  encumber  the 
carpet  and  all  the  furniture  of  his  room,  sunshine 
brio-htened  his  life  for  a  brief  moment.  These  were 
red-letter  days  for  him  ;  days  on  which  sometimes 
he  did  not  leave  his  sofa  for  twelve  hours. 

He  read  chiefly  history,  memoirs,  and  lampoons. 
These  three  kinds  of  publications  formed  the  main 
part  of  the  library  of  Longwood.  No  wonder  they 
aroused  the  Emperor's  interest  ;  for,  in  their  pages, 
he  sought  the  judgments  passed  on  the  great  events 
of  the  past  and  of  his  reign.  The  attacks  of  his 
enemies  and  the  false  statements  of  pamphleteers 
left  him  calm  as  a  rule.  If  by  chance  they  perturbed 
him  somewhat,  he  scribbled  an  exclamation,  an  inter- 
jection, a  marginal  note  to  the  disparagement  or 
calumny,  and  proceeded.  There  are,  however,  works 
— among  others  a  book  by  Fleury  de  Chaboulon — 
that  he  thought  fit  to  annotate  completely,  covering 
them  with  copious  commentaries  and  refutations  in 
his  hieroglyphical  hand. 

Treatises  of  military  science,  geography,  and 
narratives  of  travel  came  next  on  the  list  of 
Napoleon's  preferences. 

Certain  mornings  he  devoted  to  literature. 
Among  prose  writers,  Voltaire  was  his  favourite. 
"He  is  the  king  of  wit,"  he  often  declared.  Among 
poets,  he  hardly  cared  for  any  but  Ossian,  of  whom 
he  possessed  a  good  Italian  translation.  The  cold- 
ness and  conventionality  of  French  epic  poems 
rendered    them    distasteful    to    him  ;     likewise    the 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  165 

dryness  of  the  few  French  classical  lyrics  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  He  rated 
highly  some  ten  tragedies  and  comedies  in  verse, 
but  their  dramatic  value  alone  elicited  his  esteem. 
He  sought  in  poetry  that  which  is  perhaps  its 
supreme  sphere  :  vague  and  imposing  visions,  the 
outlines  of  dreams.  Hence  his  appreciation  for  the 
nebulous  sublimities  of  the  Scotch  bard.  "  I  have  been 
even  accused,"  he  once  said  in  jest  to  Lady  Malcolm, 
"  of  having  my  head  filled  with  Ossian's  clouds." 

About  eleven  o'clock  he  left  off  reading,  and  sat 
down  on  an  end  of  the  sofa  to  lunch  at  the  round 
table,  now  cleared  of  books  and  spread  with  a 
napkin.  The  meal  consisted  of  soup,  two  meat 
courses  and  a  side-dish  of  vegetables  :  the  latter  was 
only  served  on  days  when  the  maître  d'hôtel,  Cipriani, 
who  went  marketing  to  Jamestown  escorted  by  a 
soldier,  could  obtain  a  fresh  supply.  Occasionally  the 
little  table  was  laid  for  two.  This  happened  when 
the  Emperor,  instead  of  reading,  had  worked  during 
the  morning  at  his  memoirs  with  one  of  his  house- 
hold, General  Gourgaud,  for  instance,  or  General 
de  Montholon.  In  that  case,  after  eight  or  ten 
minutes  devoted  to  the  meal,  which  was  terminated 
by  a  cup  of  coffee,  their  occupation  was  resumed. 

On  his  arrival  at  Saint  Helena,  Napoleon  con- 
templated writing  the  narrative  of  his  entire  career, 
giving  a  record  of  all  his  political  and  military 
achievements.  Of  this  vast  scheme  he  only  com- 
pleted a  quarter,  a  fifth  part,  perhaps,  consisting  ol 


1 66  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  beginning-  and  the  end.      He  related  his  succès- 
sive    stages,    as    artillery    captain    at    the     Siege    of 
Toulon,  as  brigadier-general,  as  head  of  the  armies 
of  Italy  and  of  Egypt,  as  First  Consul.     Then  comes 
a  gap  :    nothing  about  the   Consulship  for  life,  and 
hardly    anything   about    the    Empire  ;    only   the   last 
years,  Elba,  and  the  Hundred  Days.     Such  as  it  is, 
the    work    is    yet    considerable,    and    fills    six    large 
volumes,  which  were  published  in   1867.      Its  magni- 
tude alone  would  do  credit  to  a  professional  writer, 
but  it  has  other  merits.       No  doubt — M.   Houssaye 
has    pointed    out  the   fact  with   respect  to  Waterloo 
— its  accuracy  is  frequently  at  fault,  and  it  contains 
numerous  errors.      Deprived  of   means  of   reference, 
of   documents    and    archives  to  refresh  his   memory, 
the  author  of  this  colossal  autobiography  has  too  often 
been  obliged  to  rely  chiefly  on  his  own  recollections. 
But    his    style    is    fluent,    precise,    picturesque  ;    his 
logic,    the    way    in    which    he    arranges    the    events, 
admirable.       When    he    introduces    a    personage,    he 
sketches    him  with    three   or  four    characteristic    and 
definite    strokes  ;    when   he   explains    his  battlefields, 
the  countries  in  which  he  waged  war,  his  geographical 
descriptions  rival  and  surpass  those  of  a  Malte-Brun 
or  a  Reclus.      So    remarkable   a  literary    production 
is  the  most   triumphant  answer    to  Forsyth  and  his 
lieutenant,    to    those    detractors    who    reproach    the 
captive   of   Saint   Helena   with  having  spent   all  his 
days    in    complaints    and    recriminations,    in    picking 
paltry  quarrels  with  the  hapless  Hudson  Lowe  ! 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  167 

During  the  first  years  of  exile,  and  until  he  com- 
pletely gave  way  to  discouragement,  Napoleon 
devoted  many  hours  to  his  memoirs.  His  com- 
panions, each  of  whom  was  his  secretary  by  turns, 
relate  that  he  taxed  their  good-will,  and  often  tired 
their  pen,  in  the  study  adjoining  his  bedroom, 
that  other  wretched  chamber  in  which  he  had  a 
small  bureau,  a  few  bookshelves,  and  a  second 
field-bed. 

"  I  remember  a  time  when  writing  history  was  a 
genuine  passion  for  him,"  says  Emmanuel  Las 
Cases.  ".  .  .  He  almost  always  dictated  walking  ; 
his  steps  were  not  hurried  then,  and  immediately 
his  attention  was  arrested  they  grew  extremely  even. 
When  his  attention  was  still  further  engrossed,  his 
steps  became  firmer,  and  the  sound  of  his  foot,  as 
he  set  it  on  the  floor,  could  be  heard  distinctly. 
On  becoming  at  all  animated  he  breathed  loudly  and 
rapidly.  I  noticed  that  he  always  gave  himself  up 
entirely  and  completely  to  the  pursuit  in  which  he 
was  engaged.  I  cannot  recollect  ever  having  seen 
him  occupied  with  two  different  things  at  the  same 
moment.  The  story  of  Caesar  simultaneously  dictat- 
ing dispatches  in  various  languages  to  several 
secretaries  made  him  laugh.  While  he  worked 
much  noise  was  frequently  caused  around  him  by 
the  slamming  of  doors  ;  but  he  never  appeared  to 
notice  it.  ..." 

At  two  o'clock  the  Emperor  prepared  to  go  out 
of  his  interior,  as  the  exiles  of  Longwood  designated 


1 68  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  private,  the  strictly  reserved  part  of  his  suite, 
the  bedroom  and  the  adjoining  study  where  he 
principally  lived,  and  to  which  nobody  had  access 
unless  by  special  request  or  on  formal  application. 
He  shaved,  took  off  his  dimity  dressing-gown,  and 
put  on  his  afternoon  costume.  This  costume  con- 
sisted as  a  rule  of  a  green  coat,  a  waistcoat  and 
breeches  of  kerseymere,  white  silk  stockings  and 
buckle  shoes.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Captivity  the 
green  coat,  with  red  cuffs  and  collar,  was  that  of 
the  chassetirs  of  the  Imperial  Guard  ;  later,  that  of 
the  hunts  stripped  of  its  gold  and  silver  lace. 
Napoleon  also  wore,  although  not  often,  plain  clothes 
of  other  colours  ;  for  instance,  a  brown  suit  and 
one  of  nankeen.  He  had  three  overcoats  for  use 
out  of  doors  :  two  grey,  of  the  well-known  traditional 
cut,  and  one  green. 

Once  dressed,  the  Emperor  repaired  to  the  parlour, 
where  his  companions  used  to  assemble. 

"  Parlour  "  is  only  one  of  the  names  of  a  room 
called,  during  the  years  of  the  Captivity,  by  a  dozen 
different  designations  :  billiard-room,  because  it  origin- 
ally contained  a  billiard  -  table  eventually  removed 
elsewhere  ;  salon  d'attente,  because  visitors  were 
obliged  to  wait  there  ;  and  topographical  room  or 
map-room.  In  reality,  the  place  destined  for  such 
varied  purposes  was  the  antechamber  of  the  house  ;  that 
wooden  construction  at  the  foot  of  the  T  of  Longwood, 
next  to  the  verandah  :  a  building  hastily  erected  by 
Admiral Cockburn'ssailors  during  Napoleon's  residence 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  169 

at  The  Briars.  Its  walls  inside  exposed  to  view  badly 
planed  boards  coated  with  light  green  paint  which  was 
peeling  off  in  the  black-edged  panels. 

In  spite  of  this  the  room  was  the  pleasantest  and 
most  comfortable  of  the  imperial  apartments,  being 
spacious  and  well  lighted.  It  measured  twenty-four 
feet  in  length,  seventeen  feet  in  width,  and  eleven  feet 
in  height.  Three  windows  facing  west  commanded  a 
view  of  the  road  leading  from  Deadwood  to  Jamestown, 
which  passed  at  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  yards 
away.  From  two  other  windows,  between  which  stood 
a  fireplace  in  masonry,  the  sea  could  be  seen  to  the 
east.  A  glass  door  led  to  the  verandah  on  the  north 
side,  and  a  panelled  door  to  the  drawing-room  at  the 
opposite  end.  White  muslin  curtains  at  the  windows, 
a  looking-glass  over  the  mantelpiece,  some  straw- 
bottomed  chairs  and  several  tables  on  trestles,  always 
covered  with  open  maps,  was  about  all  the  furniture 
the  room  contained. 

It  was  there  that,  on  rainy  afternoons,  Napoleon 
prepared  the  records  of  his  wars.  He  consulted  the 
Annual  Register,  the  few  numbers  of  the  Moniteur, 
the  military  memoirs  and  the  atlases  which  he  kept 
there.  Surrounded  by  his  companions,  he  explained 
the  plans  of  his  battles,  represented  Rivoli  or  revived 
Marengo,  with  red-  and  black-headed  pins  for  soldiers. 
On  fine  days, — of  rare  occurence  except  for  a  third 
of  the  year,  during  the  relatively  dry  months  of 
October,  November,  December,  and  January, — the 
French  exiles  only  remained  for  a  short  time  in  the 


170  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

topographical  room  or  parlour  ;  about  three  or  four 
o'clock  they  left  the  house. 

On  both  sides  of  the  principal  bar  of  the  T,  to  which 
we  have  constantly  to  return  in  order  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  plan  of  the  apartments  of  Longwood,  were  small 
gardens  with  pitiful  flowers.  That  on  the  left  con- 
tained an  arbour  formed  by  wooden  hoops  and  over- 
grown with  viburnum.  The  Emperor  would  often 
sit  there  with  his  circle,  or  else  walk  up  and  down 
a  long,  narrow,  pine  plantation  extending  from  the 
right  of  the  house  to  the  Jamestown  road.  This 
plantation,  protected  from  the  trade-winds  by  the 
buildings  occupied  by  Napoleon  and  by  the  adjoining 
out-houses,  made  a  tolerably  fine  show,  and  the 
branches  of  its  few  rows  of  trees  subdued  the  glare  of 
the  tropical  sun  and  rendered  it  bearable. 

At  other  times,  when  the  weather  was  agreeably 
cool,  the  Frenchmen  took  the  air  in  front  of  the 
verandah,  or  farther  away  in  the  midst  of  the  leafless 
gum-trees  of  the  plateau.  The  Emperor  walked  with 
measured  steps,  now  talking  to  his  companions,  now 
silent.  A  semi-circle  of  heights,  overlooking  the 
enclosure  of  Longwood,  seemed  to  watch  the  little 
captive  group  and  keep  guard  over  it.  And,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  from  Deadwood  Camp,  pitched  on  a 
mound  near  Flagstaff  Hill  ;  from  the  various  summits 
of  the  mountain  range  to  which  Diana  Peak  belongs  ; 
from  Alarm-House  and  the  lofty  citadel  of  High  Knoll 
close  to  Jamestown  ;  from  north,  south,  and  west, 
telescopes  followed  and  optical  telegraphy  signalled 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  171 

all  the  movements  of  the  Frenchmen.  On  one  side 
only  the  horizon  had  no  eyes  wherewith  to  spy  them  : 
to  the  east,  the  sea  extended  its  blind  mirror,  its 
smooth  sheet  almost  always  deserted.  Sometimes 
several  days  elapsed  without  the  appearance  of  the 
three  black  balls  that  announced  the  sight  of  a  sail 
from  a  semaphore  situated  near  the  Barn,  that  solemn, 
massive  mountain  next  the  cone  of  Flagstaff.  When 
the  event  occurred  in  the  course  of  one  of  Napoleon's 
walks,  he  took  a  field-glass,  usually  carried  by  one  of 
his  attendants,  and  often  saw  nothing  but  the  tops  of 
masts,  at  the  extreme  limit  of  the  waters.  A  ship 
that  did  not  touch  at  Saint  Helena  was  passing  down 
there  faraway.  If,  however,  the  ship  happened  to  be 
bound  for  Jamestown,  and  approached  the  island,  she 
generally  turned  out  to  be  a  vessel  of  the  East  India 
Company  or  a  man-of-war.  Betsy  Balcombe  devotes 
a  page  of  her  recollections  to  describing  the  scene  the 
Emperor  then  had  before  his  eyes,  and  the  emotions 
these  arrivals  aroused  in  him  : — 

"  '  The  ashes  of  a  thousand  thoughts  were  on  his 
brows  ;  '  he  was  standing  with  General  Bertrand,  his 
eyes  bent  sadly  on  the  seventy-four,  which  was  yet 
but  a  speck  on  the  line  of  the  horizon.  The 
magnificent  ship  soon  grew  upon  our  sight,  as,  beating 
up  to  windward,  silently  yet  proudly  she  pursued  her 
brave  career.  '  Sailing"  amid  the  loneliness,  like  a  thing 
endowed  with  heart  and  mind,'  she  seemed  the  very 
personification  of  Majesty  !  Byron  thought  the  ocean, 
with  a  single  vessel  moving  over  it,  the  most  poetical 


172  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

object  in  nature  ;  perhaps  its  utter  loneliness  is  the 
cause.   .  .   . 

"The  Emperor,  after  a  long  silence,  commented 
on  the  fine  management  of  the  vessel.  '  The  English 
are  kings  upon  the  sea,'  he  said  ;  and  then,  smiling 
somewhat  sarcastically,  added,  '  I  wonder  what  they 
think  of  our  beautiful  island  ;  they  cannot  be  much 
elated  by  the  sight  of  my  gigantic  prison  walls  !  ' 

Night  falls  suddenly  in  the  tropics.  About  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
the  sun  sank  rapidly  beneath  the  waves  towards 
Jamestown,  almost  without  the  warning  of  twilight, 
as,  in  the  morning,  also  about  six  o'clock,  it  loomed 
suddenly  off  Longvvood,  almost  without  a  dawn.  On 
their  return — on  days,  the  rare  days,  it  must  be 
repeated,  when  the  cessation  of  wind  and  rain  made 
it  possible  to  go  out — the  Frenchmen  awaited  the 
dinner  hour  in  the  drawing-room. 

The  drawing-room,  which  followed  the  verandah 
and  the  parlour,  had  somewhat  larger  dimensions  than 
Napoleon's  study  and  bedroom  :  eighteen  feet  by 
fifteen.  It  was  in  this  apartment  that  the  Emperor 
gave  audience  to  strangers  ;  here  he  received  Lord 
Amherst  and  his  suite,  Captain  Basil  Hall,  Henry, 
and  the  officers  of  the  66th.  The  walls  were  hung 
with  a  yellow  green-flowered  paper,  and  the  furniture 
consisted  of  two  mahogany  folding-tables,  two  sofas, 
two  arm-chairs  and  eight  other  chairs,  also  of  mahog- 
any, upholstered  with  horse-hair  and  black  rep.  A 
nondescript  chandelier  hung  from  the  ceiling.     A  door 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  173 

at  the  end  opened  on  the  dining-room.  In  the  middle 
of  the  left-hand  wall  was  a  fireplace  with  a  mantelpiece 
surmounted  by  a  common  looking-glass,  and  support- 
ing the  life-size  bust,  in  white  marble,  of  a  curly-haired 
child  adorned  with  the  badge  of  the  Legion  of  Honour  : 
the  Duke  of  Reichstadt.  A  poor  work,  of  questionable 
likeness  and  authenticity,  brought  to  Saint  Helena  by 
a  sailor,  but  in  which  Napoleon  liked  to  see  the  faith- 
ful portrait  of  a  son  from  whom  he  had  already  been 
separated  for  some  years,  and  of  whom  he  only  knew 
the  unformed  features.  It  was  always  with  a  look  of 
paternal  pride  that  he  contemplated  this  piece  of 
sculpture,  and  nothing  gave  him  greater  pleasure  than 
to  hear  people  praise  and  admire  it.  The  drawing- 
room  was  lighted  from  the  right,  the  west  side,  by 
two  windows,  hung,  like  those  of  the  other  rooms  of 
the  apartments,  with  white  muslin  curtains.  At  the 
hour  of  death,  the  Emperor  was  to  have  his  bed  placed 
in  the  intervening  space  between  them  ;  it  was  there, 
face  to  face  with  the  bust  so  dear  to  him,  that  he 
breathed  his  last. 

Until  dinner  the  French  exiles  sought  diversion 
in  whist,  piquet,  reversis,  or  chess. 

As  often  as  not  Napoleon  was  absent-minded, 
and  laid  down  the  cards  or  moved  the  chessmen 
mechanically.  When,  however,  he  took  an  interest 
in  the  game,  he  was  always  eager  to  win,  and 
delighted  in  malicious  cheating.  He  rifled  his  op- 
ponents who  assumed  expressions  of  woe,  bantered 
them,  and  then  returning  their  money  with  a  laugh  : 


174  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"This,"    he    would    say,   "is    how    gentlemen's    sons 
are  ruined  !  " 

Etiquette  was  severely  enforced  at  Longwood. 
On  his  walks,  Napoleon's  companions  escorted  him 
bare-headed,  unless  they  had  received  an  order  to 
the  contrary.  In  the  drawing-room,  whilst  one  of 
them  sat  opposite  him  at  the  card-table,  the  others 
remained  respectfully  standing.  The  Emperor  only 
bade  the  ladies,  Countesses  Bertrand  and  de 
Montholon,  be  seated.  He  usually  kept  his  hat  on, 
and  only  raised  it  at  their  entry.  No  one  addressed 
him  but  when  questioned  or  once  the  conversation 
was  started.  Bertrand,  Montholon,  and  Gourgaud 
hardly  ever  appeared  before  him  except  in  court 
dress  or  in  the  uniforms  of  generals.  If  they  desired 
to  impart  news  to  his  Majesty,  when  he  was  in  his 
private  apartments,  they  solicited  an  audience.  When 
they  happened  upon  the  Emperor  alone  out  of  doors, 
in  one  of  his  little  gardens,  they  awaited  a  sign  before 
drawing  near  to  him. 

Why  this  excess  of  ceremony  at  Saint  Helena  ? 
One  would  imagine  that,  with  his  small  circle  in  exile, 
Napoleon  could  have  lived  almost  in  the  simple 
fashion  of  a  private  person  with  his  family.  But  he 
had  always  attached  great  importance  to  matters  of 
etiquette  ;  as  an  upstart  monarch,  he  had  ever  dreaded 
on  the  part  of  his  servitors  that  relaxation  of  attentions 
and  respect  which  intimacy  with  the  sovereign,  his 
continual  presence  and  daily  intercourse,  may  en- 
gender.    Now,  at  least,  his  fears  were  not  altogether 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  175 

idle.  Even  the  devoted  Count  Bertrand,  at  times, 
questioned  his  orders  ;  one  day,  at  The  Briars,  on 
being  reprimanded,  he  raised  his  voice  to  such  a 
pitch  that  the  Emperor  was  obliged  to  impose 
silence  on  him,  and  say:  "At  the  Tuileries  you 
would  not  have  dared  speak  thus  to  me."  Words 
somewhat  misplaced  and  impolite  would  escape  from 
Gourgaud.  And  as  for  Montholon,  although  too 
much  the  courtier  to  be  disrespectful  in  his  master's 
presence,  he  indulged  in  rather  unguarded  criticism 
behind  his  back. 

Napoleon  had  yet  another  reason,  the  chief  reason, 
for  his  rigid  insistence  upon  his  imperial  prerogatives. 
He  was  called  General.  The  extreme  honours  that 
he  exacted  from  his  suite  were  a  protest  against 
this  designation,  an  assertion,  to  the  face  of  his 
gaolers,  of  that  rank  of  monarch  which  the  British 
nation  so  ungenerously  denied  him. 

The  English,  admirable  as  they  are  in  many 
respects,  have  a  defect — the  defect  of  one  of  their 
qualities.  Their  manly  love  of  strength  often  renders 
them  incapable  of  conceiving  it  otherwise  than  ever 
prosperous,  ever  triumphant,  present,  and  steadfast. 
Woe  to  the  giant  who  stumbles  !  Woe  to  the  hero 
whom  fortune  betrays  !  They  no  longer  admire 
Samson,  once  the  perfidious  Delilah  has  shorn  him 
of  his  lion's  mane  and  reduced  him  to  impotence. 
Homage  paid  to  baffled  effort,  the  Gloria  victisl 
astonishes  them. 

Cockburn  once  wrote  to  a  friend  that  Napoleon's 


176  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

companions  continued  to  be  devoted  to  his  person 
in  a  way  no  Englishman  could  understand,  or  even 
witness,  without  a  feeling  of  disgust  and  contempt  ; 
while  the  Admiral's  secretary  expressed  the  same 
idea,  although  in  somewhat  milder  terms,  by  stating 
that  their  servility  was  altogether  beyond  English 
conceptions  ;  and  General  Bingham,  whom  the 
Emperor  had  received  at  his  table,  thus  appreci- 
ated the  honour:  "The  dinner  lasted  only  forty 
minutes.  ...  It  was  stupid  enough  ;  the  people 
who  live  with  him  scarcely  spoke  above  a  whisper." 

Nevertheless,  the  sight  which  they  tried  to  turn 
into  ridicule  impressed  these  proud  servants  of  a 
free  country,  who  would  have  bowed  down  to  the 
ground  before  the  least,  petty  reigning  king.  The 
boorish  Cockburn  contented  himself  with  being  rude 
to  Napoleon  ;  he  could  have  been  more  offensive  : 
familiar  !  And,  but  for  the  barrier  of  ostensible 
respect  with  which  the  captive  of  Saint  Helena 
surrounded  himself,  perhaps  Hudson  Lowe,  the 
Governor,  would  not  have  hesitated  even  to  intrude 
upon  the  privacy  of  his  room  ;  to  enter  it  with  the 
regularity  of  a  turnkey  going  the  rounds  of  the 
prisoners'  cells. 

The  principal  reason  that  rendered  etiquette  re- 
quisite at  Longwood  also  necessitated  the  maintenance 
of  pomp  and  circumstance.  When,  in  the  first  period 
of  his  exile,  the  Emperor  went  out  driving,  he  nearly 
always  had  six  horses  to  his  barouche,  two  out-riders, 
and  the  officers  of   his  escort   galloping  beside  the 


;  -4HlS^     ■    ''  *^9w  * 


GENERAL   GRAND    MARSHAL    BERTRAND   (ABOUT    1850). 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  177 

doors.  Although  his  house  was  far  from  resembling; 
a  palace,  yet,  by  way  of  further  protest,  he  retained 
a  grand  marshal,  Count  Bertrand,  and  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  service  and  air  of  a  Court.  The 
Englishmen  to  whom  he  granted  an  audience  found 
an  aide-de-camp — Gourgaud  or  Montholon,  in  full- 
dress  uniform,  topbooted  and  sword  girt  on — in  the 
parlour  ;  at  the  door  of  the  apartment  in  which 
Napoleon  was  about  to  receive  them  they  saw  an 
imposing-looking  usher,  resplendent  with  gold  lace, 
the  giant  Noverraz.  All  the  retainers  of  the  un- 
acknowledged sovereign  wore,  at  Saint  Helena,  the 
former  imperial  livery  :  a  green  coat  with  gold-  or 
silver-embroidered  collar  and  cuffs,  a  white  kersey- 
mere waistcoat,  black  silk  breeches,  white  silk 
stockings,  and  shoes  with  buckles.  They  discharged 
their  duties  at  Longwood  with  the  same  precision, 
gravity,  solemnity,  as  at  the  Tuileries. 

For  instance,  at  seven  o'clock,  the  hour  appointed 
for  the  evening  meal,  the  maître  d'hôtel,  Cipriani, 
entered  the  drawing-room,  and  making  a  low  bow 
to  the  Emperor,  announced  :  "  His  Majesty's  dinner 
is  served."  Napoleon  then  rose  and  proceeded  to 
the  dining-room,  followed  by  Count  and  Countess 
de  Montholon,  and  General  Gourgaud,  his  three 
habitual  guests.  If  the  Bertrands  were  present,  they 
usually  asked  permission  to  withdraw,  and  returned 
to  their  separate  house.  Except  on  Sundays,  the 
Emperor  seldom  had  their  company  at  table,  whereof 
he  complained  :    "  The  Grand  Marshal  and  his  wife 


178  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

did  the  same  at  Elba.     Surely  we  ought  to  keep  as 
closely  united  here  as  possible." 

The  dining-room  was  certainly  one  of  the  most 
gloomy  apartments  of  the  whole  gloomy  suite.  Even 
in  the  daytime  candles  were  necessary,  and,  partly 
on  that  account,  Napoleon  never  lunched  there.  At 
a  corner  of  the  room  a  narrow  glass  door,  giving 
access  to  the  garden  with  the  arbour,  alone  let 
in  the  light.  Other  doors  opened  on  all  sides  : 
those  of  the  drawing-room,  library,  study,  and  that 
of  a  lobby  communicating  with  the  kitchen  and 
offices.  Situated  at  the  junction  of  the  horizontal 
and  the  perpendicular  bar  of  the  Longwood  T,  the 
dining-room  occupied  a  central  position  in  the 
imperial  apartments,  and  was  subject  to  two  draw- 
backs inherent  to  such  places  :  comings  and  goings, 
and  draughts.  It  measured  22  feet  in  length,  12  feet 
in  width  and  9  feet  in  height,  and  was  originally 
painted  in  oils  a  horrible  bright  blue  colour,  but 
afterwards  hung  with  a  red  paper.  It  contained 
an  oval  table,  a  cupboard,  a  sideboard,  and  the 
usual  dozen  chairs. 

Such  was  the  shabby  setting  to  Napoleon's 
dinner,  served  in  magnificent  silver  plate  brought 
over  from  France,  of  which  the  value,  estimated 
at  the  weight  of  the  metal,  exceeded  ,£3200 
on  the  arrival  at  Saint  Helena.  Portions  of 
it  had  been  broken  up  and  sold — the  reader  will 
recollect  on  what  occasion — but  there  remained  at 
least  half  of  the   124   plates  ornamented   with  palm- 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  179 

leaves,  the  124  plain  plates,  the  40  varied  plates, 
the  100  knives,  forks  and  spoons,  the  dish-covers 
surmounted  by  eagles  of  solid  silver,  the  trays,  soup 
tureens,  and  branched  candlesticks  made  to  match, 
of  which  it  originally  consisted. 

The  repast  was  composed  of  a  soup  course,  a 
relevé,  two  entrées,  a  joint,  and  two  sweets.  The 
maître  a" hôtel,  Cipriani,  carved  the  meats  and  placed 
them  ceremoniously  before  the  Emperor.  Several 
footmen  assisted  him. 

At  dessert,  an  exquisite  service  of  Sèvres  china, 
a  gift  of  the  city  of  Paris,  made  its  appearance,  to- 
gether with  knives,  forks  and  spoons  of  chased  gold. 
Each  plate,  worth  ^24,  represented  a  scene  from 
the  imperial  drama,  or  some  spot  on  its  vast  stage 
— a  battle  or  a  festivity,  a  palace  or  a  landscape. 
The  coffee-cups  were  ornamented  with  views  of  Egypt 
and  ibises  ;  their  saucers  with  miniatures  of  Arab  or 
Turkish  chieftains. 

Dinner,  as  a  rule,  was  quickly  disposed  of.  The 
forty  minutes  that  seemed  insufficient  to  General 
Bingham  were  a  concession  in  favour  of  strangers. 
Although  Napoleon  had  now  time  and  to  spare,  he 
could  no  more  abide  long  meals  at  Saint  Helena  than 
formerly  at  the  Tuileries.  After  a  brief  half-hour, 
which,  when  Bertrand  figured  among  the  guests,  he  in- 
dulgently prolonged  by  a  few  minutes  on  account  of  the 
Marshal's  excessive  fondness  for  pastry  and  sweet- 
meats, he  hastily  pushed  back  his  chair.  All  rose  at 
this  signal.     Sometimes  they  were  allowed  to  resume 


i8o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

their  seats,  and  remained  in  the  dining-room.  At 
other  times  they  returned  to  the  drawing-room.  In 
either  case  the  Emperor  sent  for  books  from  the 
library,  and  afterwards  dismissed  his  servants,  on 
whom  he  practised  his  English  ;  for,  having  taken 
lessons  from  Las  Cases  and  Countess  Bertrand,  he 
could  stammer  out  a  few  words  of  that  language,  and 
even  knew  it  sufficiently  well  to  understand  the  gist 
of  the  newspapers  and  reviews  which  he  glanced 
through  whenever  he  was  able  to  procure  them.  He 
would  then  say  to  the  footmen  :  "  Go  out,  go  to 
supper  !  "  Whereupon  he  would  ask  his  company — 
"  What  shall  we  read  this  evening  ?  What  do  you 
wish  to  hear  ?     A  comedy  or  a  tragedy  ?  " 

They  were  well  acquainted  with  his  preferences, 
and  therefore  chose  a  tragedy.  He  opened  Corneille, 
Racine,  or  Voltaire,  and  began  an  act  or  a  scene. 
He  read  rather  well  and  with  feeling,  waxed  eloquent 
when  he  came  to  the  fine  passages,  but  lacked  the 
poetic  ear.  Often,  without  noticing  it,  he  destroyed 
the  measure  and  the  composition  of  the  hexameter  by 
adding  to  it  a  foot  or  two,  by  changing  a  word  or  a 
proper  name.  Thus,  in  his  mouth,  the  celebrated 
verse  : — 

"  Soyons  amis,  Cinna,  à  est  moi  qui  feti  co7ivie  " 

always  became,  in  a  lengthened  and  modified  form  : — 

"  Scylla,  soyons  amis,  Scylla,  c'est  moi  qui  fen  convie." 

Another  of  his  faults  was  perpetually  to  take  up 
the  same  plays.     So  much  so,  that  General  Gourgaud 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  181 

and  Madame  de  Montholon,  weary  of  hearing 
Voltaire's  Zaire,  had  formed  a  plan  to  get  rid  of  the 
copy  in  the  library  of  Longwood.  Zaïre  affected 
them  in  the  manner  of  a  powerful  soporific.  But 
willy  nilly,  they  were  obliged  to  listen  to  it,  for  the 
Emperor,  who  watched  his  audience  out  of  the 
corner  of  his  eye,  always  noticed  the  slightest 
tendency  to  slumber,  and  suddenly  threw  out  the 
severe  rebuke:  "Madame  de  Montholon,  you  are 
asleep!"  or  this  injunction:  "  Gourgaud,  wake  up!" 
After  which  he  handed  the  volume  over  to  one  or 
other  of  the  offenders  by  way  of  punishment,  folded 
his  arms,  and  invariably  dropped  off  himself  before 
five  minutes  had  elapsed. 

It  may  seem  odd  that  he  so  highly  appreciated  the 
plays  of  Voltaire.  Probably  his  admiration  for  the 
prose  writer  disposed  him  favourably  towards  the 
dramatist,  whose  defects,  moreover,  he  discerned  and 
pointed  out.  In  general,  he  was  an  excellent  judge 
and  subtle  critic  of  literature. 

For  instance,  he  explained  his  predilection  for 
tragedy  in  this  wise  :  "It  gives  a  more  faithful 
representation  of  great  men  than  history.  It  shows 
them  only  in  the  crises  that  develop  them,  the  supreme 
moments  of  their  career.  We  are  not  wearied  here 
by  the  labour  of  preparatory  details  and  conjectures 
which  historians  often  erroneously  supply.  This  is  all 
to  the  advantage  of  Glory,  for  man  is  beset  with  petty 
matters,  with  miseivinors  and  vacillations,  all  of 
which  should  disappear  in  the  hero.     We  should  see 


1 82  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

him  as  a  monumental  statue  in  which  the  weakness 
and  tremors  of  the  flesh  are  no  longer  perceptible." 

When  discussing  the  rule  of  the  three  unities,  he 
said  in  relation  to  unity  of  time  :  "  If  the  action  in 
tragedy  is  limited  to  twenty-four  hours,  it  is  not 
arbitrarily  so  ;  but  in  order  to  seize  passions  at  the 
highest  pitch  of  their  intensity,  at  that  point  where 
they  cannot  any  longer  be  diverted  from  their  object 
and  must  inevitably  bring  about  a  fatal  issue.  .  .  . 
At  the  outset  the  actors  are  agitated  ;  in  the  third 
act  sweating  profusely  ;  and  bathed  in  perspiration  in 
the  last." 

His  ideas  on  each  particular  play  were  equally 
interesting.  Thus,  the  stage  suppression  of  the  part 
of  the  Infanta,  in  the  Cid,  appeared  to  him  a  mistake  : 
"  This  part,"  he  asserted,  "  is  extremely  well  imagined. 
Corneille  desires  to  give  us  the  most  favourable 
opinion  of  his  hero,  and  certainly  for  the  Cid  to  be 
loved  at  the  same  time  by  the  daughter  of  his  king 
and  by  Chimene  adds  to  his  glory.  Nothing  sets  off 
this  young  man  so  admirably  as  these  two  women 
who  contend  for  his  heart." 

Occasionally  his  criticisms  were  rather  unexpected, 
being  elicited  by  other  considerations  than  the  plot 
or  the  composition  of  the  drama. 

After  a  reading  of  Mithridate,  he  declared  discon- 
tentedly :   "  Racine  did  not  know  geography  !  " 

In  tragedy  and  epic  poems  the  improbable  and 
the  inaccurate  shocked  him  beyond  measure.  He 
thought    highly    of     Voltaire's    Mahomet,    but    was 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  183 

irritated  at  finding  details  there  ''so  entirely  out  of 
keeping  with  Arabian  habits  !  "  The  wooden  horse 
of  the  Aineid  put  him  out  of  temper  :  "How  can 
one  possibly  believe,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that  the  Trojans 
were  so  stupid  as  to  be  the  dupes  of  such  a  childish 
contrivance  !  "  It  also  seemed  absurd  to  him  that  a 
town  of  the  importance  of  Ilion,  which  a  hundred 
thousand  Greeks  had  been  unable  to  surround,  was, 
in  the  space  of  three  or  four  hours,  invaded,  gutted, 
and  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Latin  poet  :  "  It  took 
Scipio  seventeen  days  to  burn  Carthage,  abandoned 
by  its  inhabitants  ;  it  took  eleven  days  to  burn  Moscow, 
although  largely  constructed  of  planks.  Had  Homer 
related  the  taking  of  Troy,  he  would  not  have 
treated  it  as  the  taking  of  a  fort  ;  he  would  at  least 
have  allowed  the  requisite  eight  days  and  eight  nights. 
The  Iliad  throughout  conveys  the  impression  that 
Homer  was  once  a  warrior,  while  the  AUneid 
inevitably  suggests  the  work  of  a  schoolmaster  who 
has  neither  seen  nor  done  anything." 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  the  Emperor  was 
always  so  peremptory,  so  cutting  in  his  appreciations. 
Far  from  it.  On  many  points  he  deemed  himself 
incompetent,  and  had  recourse  to  the  literary 
authorities  of  the  time,  with  a  degree  of  simplicity  that 
is  pleasing  to  see  in  so  great  a  mind.  He  often 
consulted  the  Cours  de  Lakarpe,  which  he  praised  in 
these  words  :  "  It  is  the  judgment  of  reason."  He 
had  sincere  respect  for  the  taste  and  critical  sense  of  his 
former   arch-treasurer,  Lebrun,  an  excellent  classical 


1 84  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

scholar  and  an  elegant  translator  of  Greek  and  Latin. 
He  quoted  his  opinions  daily,  repeating  :  "  Lebrun 
told  me.  .  ."  And  when  he  disagreed  with  him  he 
seemed  to  excuse  himself.  For  instance,  "  Lebrun," 
he  said,  "asserted  that  thoughts  are  only  eloquent 
when  they  express  the  truth,  and  yet  one  cannot 
deny  that  Rousseau,  a  sophist  in  his  eyes,  is 
eloquent." 

The  evenings  spent  in  reading  and  discussing 
all  manner  of  works,  but  principally,  and  too 
frequently  perhaps,  tragedy,  were  less  congenial  to 
Napoleon's  companions  than  those  spent  in  conver- 
sation, when  the  Emperor  gave  full  vent  to  his 
recollections  and  spoke  of  his  life. 

He  was  fond  of  looking  back  upon  his  early 
victories,  and  used  to  describe  his  emotions  and 
the  enthusiasm  of  an  entire  people  on  the  morrow 
of  Lodi,  of  Areola,  and  of  Rivoli  :  "  What  cries  of 
'Long  live  the  liberator  of  Italy!'  To  think  that 
I  was  only  twenty-five  years  old  !  From  that 
moment  I  realised  what  I  might  become  ;  I  felt 
as  though  carried  away  in  the  air  ;  I  saw  the  earth 
spread  out  beneath  me." 

Similarly,  he  liked  to  talk  of  Egypt  and  the 
Consulate,  to  recall  the  glorious  days  or  the  happiest 
dates  of  his  reign  :  Austerlitz,  Jena,  Friedland,  the 
Peace  of  Tilsit,  the  interview  of  Erfurth,  Eckmiihl, 
Wagram,  the  marriage  with  the  Archduchess  Marie- 
Louise,  the  birth  of  the  King  of  Rome,  the  festivities 
at  Dresden. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  185 

But  almost  as  often  he  broached  the  subject  of 
his  reverses  and  discussed  the  causes  of  his  downfall 
in  so  calm  a  tone,  with  such  quiet  accents,  that 
Madame  de  Montholon  relates  that  she  had  at 
times  this  weird  impression  :  "  I  thought  that  perhaps 
we  were  in  the  next  world,  and  that  I  was  listening 
to  the  Dialogues  of  the  Dead." 

Napoleon  regretted  his  attempts  against  Spain 
and  Russia.  He  deplored  the  defections  at  the  end 
of  the  Empire.  These  defections,  except  on  rare 
occasions,  neither  caused  him  surprise  nor  aroused 
his  indignation,  "for,"  he  remarked,  "men  in  the 
mass  are  weak,  and  changeable  because  they  are 
weak  ;  they  seek  fortune  where  it  is  likely  to  be 
found,  reap  their  own  benefits  without  wishing  harm 
to  their  neighbours,  and  deserve  pity  rather  than 
hatred." 

What  he  could  not  understand  was  his  defeat 
at  Waterloo.  Was  it  to  be  attributed  to  the  rain 
of  the  17th  of  June,  to  the  untimely  cavalry  charge 
of  Guyot's  grenadiers,  to  the  false  move  of  Marshal 
Grouchy  ...  ?  "It  was  fated,"  he  kept  repeating. 
"  Even  with  twenty  thousand  men  less  I  ought  yet 
to  have  won  the  battle.  .  .  .  My  regrets  are  not 
for  me,  but  for  unhappy  France  !  " 

On  days  when  the  Emperor  thus  gave  way  to 
painful  recollections  and  revived  the  tragic  hours  of 
his  history,  he  would  often  say  :  "I  should  have 
died  at  Moscow  !  My  institutions,  my  dynasty 
would  be  maintained  .  .  .  my  son  reigning  .  .  .  ." 


1 86  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

His  son  was  ever  present  in  his  thoughts,  though 
a  sort  of  paternal  reserve,  the  reserve  of  deep  feeling, 
prevented  him  from  showing  it,  from  unbosoming 
himself  to  his  companions.  He  hardly  ever  alluded 
to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  under  this  Austrian  title, 
but,  apparently  only  by  mere  hap  of  reminiscences, 
turned  the  conversation  at  every  moment  to  the 
birth  and  infancy  of  the  King  of  Rome.  And 
his  tenderness  is  further  revealed  by  the  delight 
he  took  in  gazing  at  a  poorly  executed  bust  ; 
in  the  notes  he  vainly  addressed  to  the  British 
Government  at  the  outset  of  the  Captivity  to  obtain 
news  of  the  child  ;  in  the  feverish  researches  he 
made  in  the  newspapers  to  discover  a  line  con- 
cerning him  ;  finally,  and  above  all,  in  so  many 
clauses,  so  many  pages  of  his  will.  In  moments  of 
rare  effusion  he  expressed  his  secret  hope  aloud  : 
"  My  martyrdom  will  restore  the  crown  to  him  !  " 

He  seemed  to  look  upon  his  end  as  near,  and 
appeared  preoccupied  about  the  problem  of  the 
Great  Beyond.  "  The  Emperor,"  says  Madame 
de  Montholon,  "  devoted  much  attention  to  religious 
questions  at  Longwood."  He  turned  once  more  to 
the  Old  Testament,  the  Gospels,  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  the  Epistles  of  Saint  Paul,  seeking  proofs 
which  he  did  not  discover  ;  and  in  the  course  of 
the  evening  conversations,  his  disappointment  would 
find  expression  in  these  remarks  :  "  Did  Jesus  Christ 
exist  ?  I  do  not  believe  that  a  single  historian 
mentions   him,   not  even  Josephus.      Nothing  is  said 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  187 

about  the  darkness  that  came  over  the  earth  at  the 
moment  of  his  death.  .  .  .  The  idea  of  a  god  is 
certainly  the  most  reasonable,  but  why  so  many 
creeds  and  systems  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  ? 
Why  Moses,  Confucius,  Socrates,  Mahommed  ?  .  .  . 
Everything  appears  to  be  organised  matter.  When 
hunting,  I  had  the  stags  cut  open  before  me,  and 
saw  that  their  interior  was  the  same  as  that  of  man. 
The  latter  is  merely  a  more  perfect  being  than 
does  or  trees.  .  .  .  Where  is  the  soul  of  a  child,  of 
a  madman  ?  The  soul  is  in  subjection  to  the  body  ; 
it  increases  with  the  child  and  decreases  with  the 
old  man.  If  immortal,  it  has  existed  before  us, 
and  is  therefore  devoid  of  memory  !  .  .  .  What  are 
electricity,  galvanism,  magnetism?  There  lies  Nature's 
oreat  secret.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  man  is  the 
product  of  these  fluids  and  of  the  atmosphere  ;  that 
the  brain  pumps  up  these  fluids  and  imparts  life  ;  that 
the  soul,  in  fact,  is  composed  of  these  fluids,  which, 
after  death,  return  to  the  atmosphere,  whence  they 
are  pumped  into  other  brains.  .  .  .  My  dear 
Gourgaud,"  the  Emperor  concluded,  addressing 
that  member  of  his  audience  with  whom  in  pre- 
ference he  discussed  philosophy  and  religion,  "  my 
dear  Gourgaud,  when  we  are  dead,  we  are  quite 
dead  !  " 

Nevertheless,  he  would  also  declare  at  times  : 
"  Only  fools  boast  they  will  die  without  confession. 
There  is  so  much  that  one  does  not  know,  that  one 
cannot  explain  !  " 


1 88  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Thus,  in  conversation  and  reading,  they  whiled 
away  their  evenings  at  Longwood.  Napoleon  notic- 
ing increasing  signs  of  weariness  on  the  part  of  his 
companions,  a  general  inclination  to  sleep,  suddenly 
asked  :  "  Is  it  so  late?"  When  they  answered  :  "  It 
is  eleven  o'clock,"  or  "midnight,"  he  showed  satis- 
faction: "Yet  another  victory  over  time,"  he  said, 
"  one  day  less  !     Let  us  go  to  bed." 

It  is  true  that  on  landing  at  Saint  Helena  he 
expected  to  lead  a  joyless  life  there.  But  he  had 
imagined  it  extremely  different,  foreseen  it  melan- 
choly rather  than  sad.  Was  he  not  assured,  he 
thought,  as  a  last  benefit  and  solace,  great  calm, 
serene  repose  after  so  much  agitation  !  Now  that 
he  had  paid  his  debt  to  fame,  he  would  find  a 
bitter  kind  of  pleasure  in  aloofness  and  immobility. 
The  sympathy  and  solicitude  of  a  few  faithful 
followers  would  help  him  to  endure  his  adversity, 
and  the  English  would  doubtless  respect  it. 

But  his  gaolers  had  delighted  in  molesting  him 

o  o  o 

by  outrageous  treatment,  in  harassing  him  with 
vexatious  regulations.  And  his  circle  —  his  circle 
gave  him  more  annoyance  than  satisfaction,  more 
anxiety  than  consolation.  Discord  reigned  at 
Longwood. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  isolation  and  trials, 
borne  in  common,  draw  men  closer  together  and 
dispose  them  to  mutual  good-will  and  affection. 
It  is  a  mistake.  When  the  explorer  Nansen  returned 
from    his   amazing  voyage    to  the    North   Pole,   one 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  189 

of  the  many  subjects  that  justly  elicited  the  astonish- 
ment of  his  friends,  was  to  hear  that  he  had  been 
able  to  live  eight  long  months  in  the  boreal  waste, 
and  in  the  narrow  confines  of  a  snow  hut,  without 
quarrelling  with  his  companion  Johansen.  Continual 
contact,  dangerous  enough  in  every-day  life  between 
voluntary  associates,  is  still  more  so  between  people 
united  by  force  of  circumstances  and  embittered 
by  sufferings.  Among  prisoners  huddled  together 
in  restricted  quarters,  for  example,  among  exiles 
compelled  by  expatriation  to  form  groups,  misunder- 
standings are  almost  inevitable.  Inclined  at  first  to 
be  friendly  and  full  of  reciprocal  indulgence,  they 
soon  break  out  in  reproaches.  They  reach  a  point 
at  which  they  find  each  other  odious  for  faults  that 
seemed  insignificant  at  the  outset,  but  of  which  they 
feel  the  repeated  manifestations  the  more  exasper- 
ating, in  that  they  have  no  means  of  avoiding  them, 
and  so  end  by  taking  a  violent  dislike  to  everything 
in  one  another  :  mannerisms,  expressions,  attitudes, 
even  words  too  often  recurring,  even  gestures  too 
often  made. 

The  Frenchmen  of  Longwood  could  scarcely 
escape  this  law.  Their  situation  was  one  of  those 
that  have  a  baneful  influence  on  character  and  tend 
to  acrimony.  Misfortune  alone  had  brought  them 
together.  They  were  undergoing  a  severe  ordeal 
on  a  lonely  little  island,  rendered  still  more  dreary 
and  narrow  to  them  by  defences,  barriers,  a  foreign 
tongue    and    customs  ;    an    island    where    the    very 


i9o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

climatic  conditions,  the  sky  generally  "overcast,  the 
fog  that  envelops  and  hems  in  the  landscape,  all 
conduced  to  aggravate  their  confinement.  Three 
generals,  very  young  in  years,  although  old  in 
service — on  the  arrival  at  Saint  Helena  Marshal 
Bertrand  was  barely  forty-two,  Montholon  and 
Gourgaud  only  thirty-two  —  were  prematurely  re- 
duced to  inaction  after  the  stirring  life  of  the 
Empire,  and  an  amazing  military  Odyssey.  The 
Countesses  Bertrand  and  de  Montholon,  two  brilliant 
women  accustomed  to  society  and  luxury,  suf- 
fered from  isolation  and  privations.  How  could 
they  avoid  becoming  somewhat  soured  and  ill- 
humoured  ? 

A  fellow-feeling,  their  veneration  for  Napoleon, 
was  unable  to  keep  them  united.  On  the  contrary, 
it  contributed  to  their  disunion.  What  interest,  what 
occupation  could  they  find  in  their  new  and  aimless 
existence,  except  a  wrangle  for  the  favours  of  the 
genius  whom  they  admired,  of  the  sovereign  whom 
they  had  followed  of  their  own  accord  ?  And  so, 
during  the  whole  period  of  the  exile,  a  secret  rivalry 
and  strained  relations  existed  between  the  Bertrand 
and  the  Montholon  families.  The  direction  of  the 
Emperor's  household  should  by  right  of  office  have 
devolved  on  the  Grand  Marshal  ;  but  he  lived 
outside,  and  his  wife,  who  was  always  piteously 
bewailing-  the  tedium  of  Saint  Helena,  engrossed 
him  too  much,  so  that  Count  de  Montholon  replaced 
him.     The    Grand    Marshal    was   hurt   by  the    sub- 


GENERAL   GOURGAUD   (1S44). 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  191 

stitution,  and  Mesdames  Bertrand  and  de  Montholon, 
on  this  account  and  for  various  other  motives  of 
jealousy,  were  not  on  good  terms,  and  scarcely  saw 
each  other. 

But  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  Longwood,  General 
Gourgaud  was  the  most  embittered,  and  showed 
himself  the  least  sociable.  His  character,  as  well 
as  circumstances,  tended  to  bring  about  this  result. 
In  the  existing  portraits  of  him,  the  salient  feature 
of  his  physiognomy  is  a  projecting  mouth,  under 
which  the  chin  recedes  abruptly.  This  lower  part 
of  his  face  calls  to  mind  the  muzzle  of  a  snarling 
dog  ever  ready  to  bark  and  bite,  and  reveals  the 
whole  nature  of  the  man.  His  stay  at  Saint  Helena 
was  marked  by  one  unbroken  sequence  of  noisy 
complaints  and  fits  of  passion  :  complaints  on  the 
score  of  a  poor  old  mother  left  in  France  without 
resources,  if  he  is  to  be  credited,  for  whom,  during 
twenty-nine  months,  he  solicits  and  refuses  a  pension 
by  turns  ;  complaints  on  the  score  of  his  youth, 
condemned  to  celibacy,  and  reduced  to  mulatto 
women  ;  complaints  again  on  the  score  of  his 
ruined  career,  of  sacrifices  and  devotion  not  appre- 
ciated according  to  their  deserts  ;  fits  of  passion 
against  Count  de  Las  Cases  at  The  Briars,  because 
Las  Cases  alone,  at  that  period,  shares  the  modest 
dwelling  of  Napoleon  ;  fits  of  passion  against  Count 
de  Montholon,  immediately  upon  the  instalment  at 
Longwood,  because  Montholon  occupies  a  place  at 
table  to  which,  he  maintains,  he  himself  is  by  right 


192  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

entitled.  Innumerable  fits  of  passion  follow  later, 
on  the  occasion  of  other  questions  of  precedence, 
about  everything,  even  the  most  trifling  matters  : 
a  water-colour  in  which  Marchand,  an  ingenuous 
and  inexperienced  painter,  represents  him  too  far 
from  His  Majesty  ;  a  brief  eulogy  by  the  latter 
of  the  military  capacities  of  Marshal  Bertrand  ;  a 
jewel  the  Emperor  happens  to  give  to  Madame 
de  Montholon.  Gourgaud's  jealousy  was  never  at 
rest.  It  would  be  daring  even  to  assert  that  he 
was  not  jealous  of  the  children  of  his  comrades  in 
exile  when,  on  namedays  and  birthdays,  Napoleon 
distributed  sweets  and  kisses  to  them. 

Nobody  at  Saint  Helena  had  more  to  suffer  from 
the  defects  of  this  character  than  he  whom  one 
expects  to  see  protected  from  them,  both  by  the 
greatness  of  his  misfortune,  which  called  for  so 
much  regard,  and  by  the  extremely  rigid  etiquette 
in  force  at  Longwood.  But  so  long  as  certain 
outward  forms  of  respect  were  observed,  the  Emperor 
allowed  his  associates  to  express  their  feelings  with 
considerable  candour,  and  permitted  the  utmost 
liberty  of  speech  ;  behind  the  severe  sovereign 
was  an  extremely  patient  and  good-natured  man. 
Gourgaud  knew  this,  and,  in  spite  of  the  unbounded 
devotion  of  which  he  boasted,  took  advantage  of 
it  in  the  most  unscrupulous  and  pitiless  fashion. 
The  journal  which  he  has  left  is  astounding.  In 
his  conversations  with  his  master  he  shows  himself 
constantly    disagreeable,    as    he    admits,    constantly 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  193 

irritated,  and  at  times  insolent,  whereas  Napoleon 
never  ceases  to  be  calm,  gentle  and  conciliating. 
Any  one  of  these  little  domestic  scenes  of  the 
Captivity,  no  matter  which,  may  serve  as  an 
example.  They  invariably  originate  in  absurd 
recriminations  and  the  everlasting  pension.  To 
mention  one  is  to  relate  all. 

"  Whatever  crisis  may  have  occurred  between  us," 
said  the  Emperor  to  the  General  one  afternoon, 
"you  have  no  right  to  refuse  what  I  propose  to  do 
for  your  mother.  Besides,  it  is  in  recognition  of 
your  past  services,  and  does  not  place  you  under 
any  obligation.  You  are  free  to  leave  whenever 
it  pleases  you  to  do  so,  but  to  persist  in  your  refusal 
would  denote  a  lack  of  respect  towards  me.  You 
treat  me  as  your  equal  then  ;  you  regard  me  as  a 
private  individual,  since  you  behave  in  this  manner. 
You  misunderstood  me  the  other  day.  I  did  not 
say  your  sentiments  were  interested,  but  that  your 
words  seemed  to  be  those  of  an  interested  man, 
which  you  certainly  are  not.  I  know  very  well 
how  good-hearted  you  are,  how  clever  and  talented  ; 
but  you  are  too  fond  of  arguing.  You  always  wish  to 
annoy  and  contradict  me.  Whenever  I  make  an 
assertion,  immediately  you  set  your  logic  to  work — 
and,  indeed,  you  have  plenty — and  your  skill,  to  look 
at  the  question  from  a  contrary  point  of  view.  You 
gave  me  frequent  cause  for  vexation  in  the  time  of  Las 
Cases.  What  right  had  you  to  object  to  my  seeing 
him  so  often  ?  You  are  jealous  of  everything.  .  .  . 
13 


194  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  To  return  to  the  point,  I  repeat,  I  never  asked 
you  to  go  away.  I  merely  said  that  if  you  did  not 
accustom  yourself  to  life  at  Saint  Helena,  if  you 
could  not  endure  your  present  situation,  you  had 
better  go  away." 

"  Sire,"  Gourgaud  interrupts  in  a  surly  tone,  "  it 
is  not  so  much  Saint  Helena  that  is  unbearable, 
but  the  unfair  dealings  of  Your  Majesty  !  " 

"  Yet  I  do  not  treat  you  badly,"  the  Emperor 
gently  rebukes.  And  once  more  he  sets  about 
reassuring  and  pacifying  his  unreasonble  aide-de- 
camp. 

Sometimes,  by  dint  of  patience  and  good-nature, 
by  calling  him  "  Gorgo,  Gorgotto,  my  son  Gorgo," 
by  pinching  his  ear  in  friendly  fashion,  by  affection- 
ately slapping  his  cheeks,  he  eventually  succeeded, 
but  it  was  never  for  more  than  a  day.  On  the 
morrow  the  mad  fellow  was  again  in  his  tantrums,  as 
Napoleon  used  to  say.  Not  only  was  he  personally 
intolerable,  but  he  also  aggravated  the  discord 
between  the  Bertrand  and  Montholon  families  by 
constant  interference.  Importuned  by  disputes, 
weary  of  recriminations,  the  Emperor  was  obliged, 
at  certain  moments,  to  adopt  the  course  of  shutting 
himself  up  in  his  room,  where  he  preferred  to  dine 
in  sad  solitude  rather  than  at  the  common  table. 
At  length  he  also  became  embittered,  began  to  feel 
irritable  and  harsh  ;  his  even  temper  and  calm 
disposition  were  disappearing. 

A  scandal  brought  about  the  departure  of  a  com- 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  195 

panion  whom  he  could,  without  much  exaggeration, 
brand  with  the  following  reproach,  that  places  him  on 
the  same  level  as  Hudson  Lowe  for  evil-doins:  : 
"You  and  the  Governor  make  life  a  burden  to  me." 
Gourgaud,  the  universal  tormentor,  accused  everybody 
of  misdeeds  with  regard  to  himself.  Nevertheless,  it 
is  against  Count  de  Montholon  that  he  believed  he 
had  the  most  serious  grievances  :  Montholon  dispar- 
aged him  to  His  Majesty  ;  Montholon  took  precedence 
of  him  everywhere  ;  Montholon  obtained  fabulous 
sums  of  money  from  the  Emperor,  so  little  inclined 
to  be  generous  with  others  !  Driven  to  extremities, 
the  imaginary  victim  decided  to  challenge  Count 
de  Montholon  to  a  duel,  and  afterwards  quit  Saint 
Helena.  This  two-fold  resolution  brought  about  a 
scene  which  must  be  cited,  as  it  completes  the  portrait 
of  the  individual  and  gives  an  idea  of  his  pride,  his 
mad  jealousy,  his  frenzied  susceptibility,  and  his  ex- 
travagant complaints.  Here  is  the  story  in  his  own 
words. 

"  I  beg  Your  Majesty,"  Gourgaud  announces  to 
Napoleon,  "  to  permit  me  to  leave  the  island  :  I  can- 
not endure  the  humiliating  position  in  which  I  am 
placed.  I  have  always  done  my  duty  ;  I  have 
incurred  Your  Majesty's  displeasure  ;  I  do  not  intend 
to  be  a  burden  to  any  one." 

"  The  Emperor,  taking  fire,  declares  that  he  has 
the  right  to  treat  Monsieur  and  Madame  de  Montholon 
as  he  thinks  fit.  He  tells  me  angrily  that  I  ought  to 
be  on  good  terms  with  Monsieur  de  Montholon,  and 


1 96  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

visit  him.  '  Sire,  they  have  injured  me  too  greatly, 
but  I  am  wrong  in  mentioning  the  subject  to  you  ;  it 
is  with  Monsieur  de  Montholon  that  I  have  to  deal.' 
The  Emperor,  in  a  rage,  exclaims  :  'If  you  threaten 
Montholon  you  are  a  brigand  !  '  He  calls  me  an 
assassin,  I  become  as  furious  as  he,  and  pointing  to 
my  head  :  '  Look,'  I  cry,  '  at  my  hair  which  I  have 
not  cut  for  several  months,  nor  shall  cut  until  I  am 
revenged  on  the  man  who  has  driven  me  to  despair  ! 
Your  Majesty  calls  me  a  brigand.  He  takes  ad- 
vantage of  my  respect  for  him.  Assassin  !  I  do 
not  think  I  can  be  accused  of  that.  I  have  killed 
nobody  ;  it  is  my  enemies  who  desire  to  assassinate 
me,  to  bring  about  my  death  by  anxieties  !  ' — '  I 
forbid  you  to  threaten  Montholon.  I  shall  fight  for 
him,  if  you  yourself  ...  I  shall  curse  you  !  ' — '  Sire, 
I  cannot  allow  myself  to  be  ill-used  without  calling 
the  author  to  account  ...  it  is  the  law  of  Nature  .  .  . 
I  am  more  unfortunate  than  the  slaves  ;  there  are 
laws  for  them  ;  for  me  only  those  of  caprice.  I  have 
never  done  a  low  action,  and  never  shall.' — 'Come, 
come,  if  you  fight  he  will  kill  you  !  ' — '  Well,  Sire  ! 
It  has  always  been  my  motto  that  it  is  better  to  die 
honourably  than  to  live  shamefully.' 

"  This  remark  offends  the  Emperor,  who  again 
waxes  furious.  The  Grand  Marshal  is  leaning  against 
the  wall,  and  does  not  utter  a  word  ;  in  vain  I  appeal 
to  him,  and  beg  him  to  state  that  for  a  long  time  I 
have  been  imploring  him  to  tell  His  Majesty  he 
is  wrong  to  treat   me   so    badly,  and    I    shall    make 


GENERAL    DE    MONTHOLON    (1834). 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  197 

Monsieur  de  Montholon  suffer  for  it.  Bertrand 
makes  no  reply.  To  incense  him  against  me,  His 
Majesty  maintains  that  I  have  spoken  ill  of  him  and 
his  wife.  Seeing  me  firm,  and  having  exhausted 
all  contrivances,  he  asks  me  what  I  want  ...  to  pre- 
cede Montholon  .  .  .  always  to  dine  with  His 
Majesty  ...  to  see  him  twice  a  day  ?  I  retort 
bitterly  that  a  brigand  has  no  right  to  ask  anything. 
The  Emperor  then  apologises  :  '  I  request  you  to 
forget  my  expressions.'  I  am  disarmed,  and  consent 
to  abstain  from  challenging  de  Montholon,  if  His 
Majesty  will  give  me  an  order  in  writing  to  that 
effect.     He  promises  to  do  so." 

Some  days  later  Gourgaud  took  leave  of  Napoleon, 
who,  moved  in  spite  of  everything,  patted  him  a  last 
time  on  the  cheek,  and  said  :  "  We  shall  see  each  other 
again  in  another  world.  Well,  good-bye  !  .  .  .  em- 
brace me  !  .  .  ."  On  the  14th  of  March,  181 8,  he  set 
sail  for  Europe,  having  previously  obtained  authorisa- 
tion at  Plantation.  At  the  same  time  the  Balcombe 
family,  exposed  to  Hudson  Lowe's  enmity,  also  fled 
the  island.  Before  their  departure,  Betsy  and  her 
sister  Jane  had  come  to  see  the  Emperor,  who  had 
given  them  two  of  his  fine  china  plates  filled  with 
sweets  as  a  souvenir.  The  Governor  compelled  them 
to  return  this  gift,  which  had  been  accepted  without 
his  consent. 

On  leaving  Longwood,  Gourgaud  stated  :  "His 
Majesty  need  never  fear  that  I  shall  report  what  takes 
place  here."     He  did  not  keep  his  word.      In  London, 


198  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

still  irritated  and  bitter,  he  made  to  Henry  Goulburn, 
Under-Secretary  of  State,  the  most  scandalous  revela- 
tions :  a  mixture  of  truths  that  he  should  have  left 
untold  and  of  falsehoods  for  which  he  should  have 
blushed.  The  British  official  was  delighted  to  learn, 
for  example,  "  that  General  Buonaparte  was  not,  as 
far  as  bodily  health  was  concerned,  in  any  degree 
materially  altered  ;  and  that  the  representations  on  this 
subject  had  little,  if  any,  truth  in  them.  Dr.  O'Meara 
was  certainly  the  dupe  of  that  influence  which  General 
Buonaparte  always  exercised  over  those  with  whom 
he  had  frequent  intercourse." 

For  a  long  time  Hudson  Lowe  had    been    com- 
plaining of  Napoleon's  physician  to   Lord   Bathurst. 
At   the    outset  of   the  Captivity  O'Meara,   who  was 
accommodated  close  to  the  Emperor,  had  consented  to 
inform  Plantation  about  whatever  his  position  enabled 
him  to    know  of  daily  life  at    Longwood.     But    the 
Governor  insisted  on  obtaining  too  complete  details, 
desired  to    learn    even    the    invectives    and    epithets 
provoked  by  his  character  and  his  actions.      He  soon 
took  a  great    dislike    to    the    subordinate    whom    he 
compelled  to  repeat  to  him  the  Sicilian  myrmidons, 
the  gaolers,  the  idiots,  the  staff-office  clerks,  and  the 
hangmen    of     Napoleon.       Their    relations    became 
strained,    quarrels    arose.     O'Meara    took    refuge    in 
silence,    an    unpardonable  crime    in  the    eyes  of   the 
grand  inquisitor    of  Saint   Helena!      It  must  be  ad- 
mitted,    moreover,    that    the     English    surgeon    had 
incurred    just    reproaches     on    other    grounds  ;    his 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  199 

sympathy  for  the  Emperor  had  grown  more  and 
more  pronounced  ;  he  gave  him  news  of  the  island — 
the  fact  has  already  been  mentioned — provided  him 
with  newspapers,  and,  in  one  way  and  another,  did 
him  many  a  little  prohibited  service.  Those  who  are 
indignant  at  the  Captivity  must  not  imitate  its  pane- 
gyrists ;  they  should  tell  the  truth  unreservedly  ;  they 
can  afford  to  do  so.  On  their  side  of  the  bar 
everything  can  be  pleaded,  everything  supported. 
As  a  British  subject  and  naval  doctor,  with  the 
rank  and  duties  of  an  officer,  O'Meara  was  certainly 
not  entirely  free  from  blame.  But  he  can  only  be 
accused  of  kindness,  of  generous  actions,  which  are 
rendered  excusable  by  the  odious  system  of  vexatious 
regulations  contrived  against  genius  and  misfortune. 
As  Napoleon  remarked,  the  man  who  committed  the 
offences  was,  in  other  respects,  a  loyal  servant  of  his 
country  :  he  would  never  have  assisted  an  escape 
either  actively  or  tacitly. 

In  spite  of  Hudson  Lowe's  hostility,  O'Meara 
succeeded  in  retaining  his  post  at  Longwood  for 
several  years.  He  had  influential  protectors  in 
London,  one  of  whom,  Lord  Melville,  was  a  Cabinet 
Minister.  He  kept  up  a  sort  of  semi-official  corre- 
spondence with  a  clerk  of  the  Admiralty,  named 
Finlaison,  which  the  members  of  the  Government 
read  with  great  interest.  Finally,  and  above  all, 
Lord  Bathurst  was  afraid  of  creating  a  scandal  by 
removing  him  from  Napoleon,  whom  the  Opposi- 
tion declared  to  be  in  ill  health. 


200  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

But  when  General  Gourgaud  had  described  the 
Emperor  as  glowing  with  health  and  Dr.  O'Meara 
as  his  dupe,  it  became  an  easy  matter  to  contradict 
the  Opposition,  and  the  surgeon's  friends  abandoned 
him.  On  the  25th  of  July,  181 8,  Hudson  Lowe 
received  permission  to  dispose  of  his  enemy.  He 
immediately  issued  orders  for  his  arrest  and  for  his 
removal  from  Longwood,  without  allowing  him  to 
take  leave  of  Napoleon.  In  the  hope  of  discovering 
compromising  papers,  he  had  his  trunks  examined 
and  his  desk  broken  open  during  his  absence.  In 
the  course  of  the  search,  which  led  to  no  result, 
some  jewels  and  valuables,  presents  from  the 
Emperor,  disappeared.  O'Meara,  about  to  return 
to  England  where  he  was  to  lose  his  rank,  and, 
meanwhile  a  prisoner  in  the  roadstead  of  Jamestown, 
on  a  vessel  ready  to  sail,  lodged  a  complaint  with 
Admiral  Plampin,  his  immediate  chief.  Vain  appeal  ! 
Plampin,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  was  in  the  habit 
of  sanctioning  all  Hudson  Lowe's  acts,  and  did  not 
feel  the  slightest  inclination  to  take  the  part  of 
that  "scoundrel  O'Meara"  against  the  Governor. 
An  inquiry  took  place  for  form's  sake  only,  and 
the  doctor  never  recovered  his  property. 

The  departure  of  his  physician,  following  so 
closely  upon  that  of  one  of  his  companions,  affected 
Napoleon  painfully.  Henceforth  he  could  no  longer 
be  blind  to  the  fact  that  solitude  was  increasing 
around  him  and  threatened,  in  course  of  time,  to 
become  complete. 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  201 

In  18 16  he  had  been  deprived  by  Hudson  Lowe 
of  Count  de  Las  Cases  and  his  son  Emmanuel,  of 
Captain  Piontkowski,  and  three  servants,  Rousseau, 
Santini,  and  one  of  the  brothers  Archambault. 

Now — during  the  year  1818 — his  society  was 
again  reduced,  and  the  number  of  his  servants  still 
diminishing.  Some  weeks  before  the  departure  of 
General  Gourgaud,  the  maître  d'hôtel,  Cipriani,  when 
waiting  one  evening  on  the  Emperor  at  dinner,  had 
been  suddenly  seized  with  intestinal  pains  so  intense 
that  they  caused  him  to  writhe  on  the  floor  and 
utter  frightful  cries  of  agony.  Two  days  later,  on 
February  26th,  he  expired.  Next,  in  the  month  of 
May,  the  head-cook  Lepage,  who  had  grown  sullen 
and  ill-humoured,  stated  that  he  could  no  longer 
endure  staying  at  Saint  Helena,  and  went  to  Planta- 
tion to  request  his  repatriation  to  Europe,  which  he 
obtained.  Bernard,  a  servant  of  Marshal  Bertrand, 
also  overcome  with  home  -  sickness,  followed  his 
example,  about  the  time  when  Dr.  O'Meara  left 
the  island. 

At  the  beginning  of  1819  the  French  Colony 
of  Longwood  was  reduced  to  half  the  original 
number.  Napoleon  retained  no  other  society  than 
that  of  the  Bertrand  and  Montholon  families,  no 
other  servants,  of  those  who  had  come  with  him, 
than  the  two  valets,  Marchand  and  Saint-Denis,  the 
butler,  Pierron,  the  third  valet,  Noverraz,  the  footman, 
Gentilini,  and  the  groom,  the  elder  Archambault. 
"  If  this  continues,"  he  remarked  sadly  to  Marchand, 


202  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

who  was  young,  being  scarcely  twenty-seven,  and 
whose  fidelity  he  considered  unswerving,  "  If  this 
continues,  only  you  and  I  will  remain  here.  You 
will  read  to  me,  you  will  close  my  eyes,  and  return 
to  France  to  live  there  on  the  legacy  I  shall 
leave  you." 

Another  six  months  went  by,  and  Napoleon  had 
a  fresh  loss  to  regret.  Countess  de  Montholon, 
having  been  seized  with  a  liver  complaint,  re-embarked 
for  Europe.  When  the  ship  that  bore  her  was  about 
to  set  sail  and  quit  the  Jamestown  roads,  her  husband 
wrote  her  :  "  The  Emperor  shows  great  sorrow  at 
your  departure.  His  tears  have  flown  for  you, 
perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  his  life." 

To  such  a  plight  had  the  Governor,  illness  and 
tedium — especially  tedium,  the  intolerable  tedium  of 
Saint  Helena — brought  the  little  band  of  Lonorwood 
in  less  than  four  years  !  Tedium  overcame  Napoleon's 
servants  one  after  the  other  like  an  epidemic  ;  tedium 
threatened  to  snatch  from  him  his  very  last  companions 
in  exile.  Tedium  is,  in  part,  responsible  for  the 
desertion  of  General  Gourgaud,  and,  previously,  for 
the  strange  behaviour  of  Las  Cases,  who,  when 
urged  by  Hudson  Lowe  to  return  to  Longwood 
after  his  arrest,  had  refused  to  do  so,  giving  the 
pompous  but  meagre  reason,  that  having  been 
stigmatised  by  despotic  proceedings,  he  could  not 
appear  again  in  the  Emperor  s  presence.  And  now 
Count  de  Montholon,  influenced  in  his  turn  by 
tedium,   spoke  of  rejoining   his  wife   in   France,  and 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  203 

Madame  Bertrand,  whom  tedium  never  ceased  to 
afflict,  urged  the  Grand  Marshal  more  and  more 
every  day  to  leave  the  island. 

Nobody,  however,  suffered  so  much  from  tedium 
as  the  man  whom  every  one  wished  to  abandon. 
The  days  at  Saint  Helena,  long  and  odious  to  all, 
appeared  terribly  dreary  and  empty  to  Napoleon. 
How  could  such  trifling  pursuits  as  chats,  historical 
essays,  chess,  cards,  and  the  perusal  of  a  few  books 
occupy,  or  even  while  away,  the  time  of  the  genius 
who  had  lately  governed  half  Europe  ;  the  head  of 
the  state  who,  at  the  Tuileries,  hardly  asked  more 
of  his  ministers  than  to  be  his  secretaries — who 
personally  directed  all  the  administrations  of  a  vast 
empire  :  finance,  public  works,  justice,  education, 
foreign  affairs,  the  Church,  Admiralty,  war,  and  yet, 
meanwhile,  found  vacant  hours  for  court  ceremonies 
and  leisure  moments  for  reading  and  conversing  ? 

How  could  the  conqueror,  who  has  covered  the 
greatest  distances,  satisfy  his  physical  energy,  beguile 
his  imperative  need  of  movement  on  a  little  island, 
had  he  even  paced  up  and  down  its  length  and 
breadth  from  sunrise  to  sunset  ?  Does  the  captive 
lion  obtain  the  illusion  of  space  and  freedom  by 
turning-  round  and  round  in  his  cage  ?  From  the 
first  year  of  exile  the  Emperor  had  tired  of  driving 
along  the  over-restricted  course  of  two  or  three 
roads.  And  as  for  riding  !  As  he  himself  remarked, 
there  was  barely  room  to  gallop  within  his  boundary 
lines.     Walking  was   equally   uninviting.      He   knew 


204  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

every  gum-tree,  every  tuft  of  grass,  every  pebble 
of  the   Longwood  plateau. 

If  to  retrace  the  same  insipid  steps  filled  him 
with  disgust,  so  also  did  the  incessant  resumption 
of  the  same  conversations  with  the  same  interlocutors, 
of  the  same  games  of  cards  or  chess  with  the  same 
adversaries,  of  the  perusal  of  the  same  books  of  a 
poor  library  ! 

Even  his  memoirs  failed  to  interest  him  in  the 
end,  and  he  abandoned  them. 

In  the  middle  of  1819  Napoleon  had  finished 
all  the  commentaries  he  has  left  about  his  career 
and  campaigns  ;  henceforth  he  rested  content  with 
revising  portions  of  them  —  with  adding  to  his 
literary  work  only  a  few  pages  on  other  and 
somewhat  incongruous  subjects.  For  instance,  to 
while  away  some  of  his  sleepless  nights,  he  dictated 
to  Counts  Bertrand  and  de  Montholon  the  Précis 
of  the  wars  of  Marshal  de  Turenne  and  the  Précis  of 
the  wars  of  Frederick  11.  ;  to  Marchand  the  Précis 
of  the  wars  of  Julius  Caesar,  some  remarks  on 
Voltaire's  Mahomet  and  the  sEneid  of  Virgil,  and 
a  note  on  suicide  ! 

The  Emperor  had  found  several  excuses  for 
interrupting  his  history,  the  only  tolerably  efficacious 
pastime  of  his  captivity.  He  had  lost  two  of  his 
secretaries,  Las  Cases  and  Gourgaud  ;  two  of  those 
collaborators  with  whom  he  examined  and  discussed 
his  narratives  before  setting  them  down  in  writing. 
Documents  almost  indispensable  to  him  were  lacking  : 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  205 

entire  years  of  the  Moniteiw,  his  correspondence, 
his  despatches,  recent  military  or  political  publications. 
He  also  fancied  that  his  memory,  to  which  he  was 
obliged  to  have  constant  recourse,  was  failing.  No 
doubt  such  obstacles  might  well  discourage  him. 
But,  in  forsaking  his  work,  he  had  above  all  given 
way  to  a  general  and  ever-increasing  disgust.  In- 
tellectually, as  well  as  physically,  he  was  falling  into 
that  state  of  inertia,  of  apathy,  which  makes  people 
say  of  everything,  with  gestures  of  discouragement, 
"What  is  the  use?" 

He  sometimes  tried  to  react  against  it.  Occasion- 
ally, after  a  morning  passed  in  complete  idleness  on 
the  sofa  of  his  bedroom,  he  would  enter  the  topo- 
graphical room  in  the  afternoon,  intent  on  resuming 
the  records  of  his  campaigns,  on  spending  his  time 
over  the  necessary  researches  and  notes.  But  he 
would  simply  glance  at  a  few  maps,  look  through 
a  few  pamphlets,  and,  quickly  wearied,  leave  the 
table  littered  with  papers  to  go  to  the  window-door 
which  opened  out  on  the  verandah.  There  he 
remained  standing  for  hours,  drumming  on  the 
panes,  watching  the  flight  of  the  sea-gulls  as  they 
wheeled  around  Flagstaff  peak,  following  in  the 
sky,  with  melancholy  gaze,  the  processions  of  clouds 
continually  renewed  by  the  trade  -  wind.  Often 
Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de  Montholon,  when 
present,  and  Noverraz,  who  was  generally  in  at- 
tendance in  the  apartment,  heard  him  murmur  : 
"What  weariness!     What  a  cross!"  .  .  . 


206  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

The  information  supplied  by  the  records  makes 
it  possible  to  picture,  in  a  tolerably  precise  manner, 
the  Emperor's  days  at  Longwood,  and  to  realise 
their  sadness.  But  the  days  are  only  half  —  and 
not  the  worst  —  of  the  anguish  of  Saint  Helena. 
How  can  we  form  an  idea  of  the  accompanying 
nights,  those  nights  in  which  Napoleon,  never  a 
oreat  sleeper,  had  no  longer  either  his  companions 
or  his  servitors  around  him,  but  was  left  to  suffer 
alone?  "You  speak  of  your  sorrows,"  he  once 
said  to  Gourgaud.  "  And  I  !  What  sorrows  have  I 
not  had  !  What  things  to  reproach  myself  with  ! 
Do  you  think  that,  when  I  wake,  I  do  not  pass 
through  dreadful  moments,  recollecting  what  I  was 
and  seeing  where  I  am  now  ?  " 

During  these  hours  of  insomnia  in  which  the 
Emperor  goes  from  the  little  iron  bed  of  his  bed- 
room to  the  little  iron  bed  of  his  study,  seeking 
fugitive  sleep  now  in  one,  now  in  the  other, 
or  else  walks  up  and  down,  wrapped  in  his  dimity 
dressing  -  gown,  his  head  lowered,  and  his  hands 
behind  his  back,  what  thoughts  absorb  him,  obtrude 
themselves  upon  him?  It  is  only  permissible  to 
suo-o-est  a  few  from  his  conversation  durino-  the 
day  :  "  No  one,"  be  nobly  declared  to  Dr.  O'Meara, 
"  no  one  but  myself  did  me  any  harm  ;  I  was,  I 
may  say,  my  sole  enemy."  And  to  his  habitual 
evening  listeners  :  "  I  undertook  too  many  things  .  .  . 
Would  to  God  that  a  bullet  from  the  Kremlin  had 
killed  me  !     Posterity  would  have  placed  me  beside 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  207 

Alexander  and    Caesar,   whereas    now    I    shall  be  a 
mere  nobody  !  " 

He  exaggerated  the  blow  dealt  to  his  renown 
by  his  defeats  and  under-rated  his  achievements. 
He  had,  it  is  true,  failed  in  the  material  conquest 
of  Europe,  but  had  he  not  succeeded  as  far  as  its 
moral  conquest  was  concerned  ?  Propagated  by  this 
son  of  the  Revolution,  the  French  idea  of  equality 
and  the  spirit  of  reform  were  everywhere  at  work 
undermining  the  petty  tyrannies,  destroying  absolut- 
ism, abuses,  and  privileges,  emancipating  the  nations, 
and  giving  increasing  impetus  to  the  progress  of 
humanity.  It  would  appear  that,  at  Saint  Helena, 
this  aspect  of  his  career  often  escaped  him.  During 
his  sad  nocturnal  meditations,  he  probably  inferred 
from  the  apparent  failure  of  his  wars  the  folly  of 
his  political  aspirations,  and  sometimes  considered 
his  course  across  the  world  and  his  dictatorship  of 
the  peoples  as  accomplished  in  vain,  so  greatly  was 
he  struck  with  his  personal  disaster  and  his  present 
nothingness.  .   .  . 

Of  what  avail  was  it  to  him  to  have  stretched 
France  so  far  beyond  her  natural  boundaries,  as  far 
as  the  Elbe  to  the  North  and  as  far  as  the  Tiber 
to  the  South  ;  to  have  taken  Holland  from  the 
House  of  Orange,  Naples  and  Spain  from  the 
Bourbons,  Milan,  the  Tyrol,  and  Venice  from 
Austria  ;  Westphalia  from  the  German  Electors  and 
from  Prussia,  and  given  them  as  vassal  territories 
to  princes  of  his  family  ;  to  have  possessed,  in  short, 


208  THE  DRAMA   OF  SAINT  HELENA 

an  empire  vaster  than  that  of  Charles  the  Great, 
planted  his  eagles  at  the  four  extremities  of  a 
continent,  made  triumphal  entries  into  almost  all 
the  capitals  of  Europe?  Of  so  much  power,  of  so 
many  victories  and  kingdoms,  what  remained  to 
him  ?  Nothing  but  that  silver  watch  before  which 
he  paused  at  times  in  his  nightly  walk  .  .  .  the 
watch  of  Frederick  n.,  which,  on  the  morrow  of 
Jena,  whilst  visiting  the  Palace  of  Potsdam  as  Lord 
and  Master,  he  had  seen  on  a  table  and  put  in  his 
pocket  ! 

And  so  Napoleon  would  go  over  the  stages  of 
his  downfall,  the  steps  at  which  he  might  have 
stopped  it  without  irredeemable  loss.  Why  had  he 
not  concluded  peace  at  Prague  in  1813?  He  would 
still  be  Emperor  of  the  French  and  King  of  Italy. 
Why  had  he  not  accepted  the  subsequent  proposals 
of  Frankfort  ?  He  retained  France,  with  her 
magnificent  rational  frontier,  the  Rhine.  Why  even 
had  he  not  agreed  to  the  conditions  of  Chatillon, 
those  of  1 8 14,  and  awaited  his  opportunity? 

And  why  also,  why,  when  prepared  to  check  the 
flight  of  his  ambition  and  to  inaugurate  a  new  era 
in  his  policy,  why  had  he  not  succeeded  in  his 
supreme  attempt  of  Waterloo  ? 

Waterloo  !  Ofttimes  Napoleon,  musing  thus,  must 
have  fought  over  again  that  fatal  battle,  of  which 
he  could  not  understand  the  issue.  No  doubt  he 
directed  that  nocturnal  review  conceived  by  the 
German  poet  :  raised  his  Grognards  from  their  graves, 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  209 

brought  to  life  his  lost  veterans,  urged  on  his  dead 
squadrons  to  charge  once  more  and  rush  upon  the 
foe,  in  order  to  restore  to  him  his  throne  and  the 
freedom  of  his  genius  !  But  the  steps  of  the  English 
sentinels  ever  resounded  before  his  door. 

Poor  man!  yes,  poor  man!  as  Henry  says.  If 
he  committed  faults,  by  what  terrible  torments  he 
atoned  for  them  !  Did  ever,  in  a  human  life,  such 
wretchedness  follow  so  much  splendour  ;  such  decay 
so  much  power  ? 

To  have  dwelt  in  the  Tuileries,  the  Elysée, 
Saint  Cloud,  Trianon,  Malmaison,  Fontainebleau, 
Compiègne,  Rambouillet  ;  possessed  palaces  at 
Brussels,  Amsterdam,  Mainz,  Turin,  Parma,  Florence, 
and  Rome  ;  passed  through  Potsdam,  Schonbrunn, 
and  the  Kremlin,  to  come  to  this  hovel,  these  mud 
walls,  the  pasteboard  roof  of  Longwood  ! 

From  Napoleon,  Emperor  of  the  French,  King 
of  Italy,  Protector  of  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine, 
Mediator  of  the  Swiss  Confederation,  to  have  become 
again  General  Bonaparte,  out  of  derision  !  Had 
he  even  kept  a  name  ?  Hudson  Lowe  and  Lord 
Bathurst,  in  their  correspondence,  thought  it  amusing 
to  call  him  alternately  General  Bonaparte,  Bonaparte 
for  short,  Buonaparte,  or  Buonaparte  ! 

After  having  reigned  over  eighty  million  souls,  to 
be  placed  under  the  authority  of  an  English  official  ! 
To  have  to  account  to  him  for  his  expenses,  his  move- 
ments, his  every  action  !  To  receive  only  those  visits 
that  were  sanctioned  by  him  !  To  read  no  other 
14 


2io  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

books  and  newspapers  but  those  he  was  kind  enough 
to  let  pass  !  To  be  unable  to  write  even  to  his 
mother,  even  to  his  wife,  even  to  his  son,  without 
revealing  to  this  stranger  the  intimacy  and  tenderness 
of  his  letters  ! 

For  a  moment  a  slight  hope  had  sustained  him 
in  this  martyrdom.  The  Liberal  opposition,  in 
England,  disapproved  of  the  humiliations,  the  treat- 
ment inflicted  upon  him,  protested  that  his  imprison- 
ment was  contrary  to  the  law  of  nations.  A  member 
of  the  British  aristocracy,  Lord  Holland,  pleaded 
his  cause  in  Parliament.  At  the  Court  he  was  aware 
of  the  sympathy  of  Princess  Charlotte,  the  daughter 
of  the  Regent.  But  Princess  Charlotte  died  in  1817, 
and  the  English  Liberals  did  not  replace  the  Conser- 
vatives at  the  head  of  affairs  either  then  or  afterwards. 
Moreover,  even  supposing  that  Lord  Holland  became 
Prime  Minister,  would  he  be  set  free  ?  Parties  govern 
turn  by  turn  in  London  ;  the  policy  hardly  changes. 
To  imagine  that  he  would  ever  be  allowed  to  live  as 
a  private  person  in  the  United  States,  or  else  to  end 
his  days  in  England  as  a  guest,  a  disquieting  guest 
who  would  have  to  be  watched,  was,  on  calm  reflection, 
an  illusion. 

Would  he  even  be  given  another  prison  ?  No, 
for  none  could  appear  as  safe  as  this  one.  In  the 
middle  of  18 19,  after  nearly  four  years  of  captivity, 
the  Emperor  no  longer  doubted  that  the  torture  of 
Saint  Helena,  his  cross,  as  he  said,  was  to  endure  to 
the  last.     And  now  that  he  had  abandoned  all  hope, 


THE  TEDIUM  OF  SAINT  HELENA  211 

now  that  he  expected  nothing  from  the  future  but 
aggravation  of  his  ills,  dread  at  times  seized  him — 
the  dread  of  a  lingering  existence. 

Still  to  vegetate  for  years  and  years  on  this  mass 
of  rocks  besieged  by  waves,  winds  and  mists — under 
this  gloomy  sky  always  saturated  with  rain — in  this 
damp  hut  infested  by  rats!  Here,  at  Longwood,  to 
await  the  age  of  decay  and  infirmities,  an  object  of 
inquisitive  pity  for  the  Englishwomen,  wives  of  officials 
or  officers,  who  visited  the  island  on  their  way  back 
from  India!  After  such  ruin,  himself  to  become  a 
ruin  ;  to  fall  a  prey  to  cacochymy,  asthma,  catarrh, 
gout — perhaps  to  end  his  days  an  idiot  !     Faugh  ! 

"Man,"  Goethe  has  said,  in  a  paradoxical  form 
which  contains  a  foundation  of  truth,  "  Man  lives  as 
long  as  he  wills  not  to  die." 

Napoleon  no  longer  desired  to  live. 


CHAPTER   V. 
THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR. 

FOR  a  long  time  already  the  Emperor  had  been 
physically  as  well  as  morally  ill. 

Before  Saint  Helena  Napoleon  had  enjoyed 
marvellous  health,  when  one  thinks  of  the  giddy 
pace  of  his  career,  the  ubiquity  of  his  effort,  the 
expenditure  of  bodily  energy  necessitated  by  actual 
achievements  that  surpass  the  legendary  labours  of 
Hercules.  Goethe,  to  quote  once  more  the  great 
German  poet,  remarks  with  admiration  :  "  He  has 
sometimes  been  called  a  man  of  granite.  The  term 
is  a  happy  one.  Was  there  anything  he  did  not,  and 
could  not,  exact  from  his  person  ?  What  countless 
marches,  battles,  nocturnal  bivouacs,  from  the  burning 
sands  of  Syria  to  the  snow-drifts  of  Moscow  !  What 
terrible  hardships  and  fatigues  are  suggested  !  Little 
sleep,  little  food,  incessant  and  intense  activity  of  the 
brain  !  When  one  reckons  all  Napoleon  effected  and 
endured,  it  would  seem  that  at  forty  he  must  have 
been  utterly  worn  out.  Far  from  this  being  the  case, 
at  that  age  he  was  still  advancing,  yet  a  perfect  type 
of  the  hero." 

During  the  entire  period   of  his  life  as  artillery 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  213 

officer,  general,  Consul,  and  Emperor,  he  only  suffered 
from  a  few  ailments  and  caught  a  few  diseases  : 
neuralgic  pains  in  the  face,  according  to  Bourrienne  ; 
bilious  attacks,  according  to  Meneval.  So  much  for 
the  ailments.  As  for  real  diseases,  he  had  but  two. 
He  was  afflicted  for  a  time  with  hemorrhoids  in 
Italy,  where  he  also  complained  of  pains  in  the 
bladder,  of  a  dysury  which  he  attributed  to  the  keen 
mountain  air.  Although  these  disorders  subsequently 
broke  out  again  at  intervals,  they  never  assumed  a 
serious  character  nor  gave  the  slightest  cause  for 
anxiety,  and  even  in  the  last  bad  days  of  the  Empire, 
during  the  terrible  years  181 2,  18 13,  1814  and  18 15, 
Napoleon  retained  nearly  to  the  full  his  great  vigour 
and  endurance. 

Now  comes  the  Captivity. 

During  the  voyage  from  Europe  to  Saint  Helena, 
and  his  seven  weeks'  residence  at  The  Briars,  the 
Emperor  remained  in  good  health.  He  merely  lost 
— it  was  rather  a  matter  for  self-congratulation — a 
little  of  that  stoutness  which  was  so  noticeable  on 
his  return  from  Elba,  and  threatened  to  become 
excessive. 

For  about  six  months  after  his  installation  at 
Longwood  he  continued  to  keep  well.  But  Hudson 
Lowe  then  inaugurated  his  office  and  his  vexations. 
He  reduced  the  perimeter  of  the  circumscription 
within  which  Napoleon  could  move  about  without 
guards  from  twelve  miles  to  eight.  And  every  day 
he    modified    and    displaced  the    new   circuit.     At   a 


2  14  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

spot  within  bounds  on  the  previous  day  the  Emperor 
would  be  stopped  in  his  stroll  by  a  sentry  on  the 
morrow.  As  a  protest  against  such  arbitrary  pro- 
ceedings and  the  other  offences  of  the  Governor, 
he  confined  himself  inside  that  four  miles'  enclosure, 
clearly  defined  by  a  low  wall,  and  appertaining  so 
to  speak  to  his  house,  of  which  his  right  to  every 
portion  was  indisputable. 

This  space,  unfortunately,  was  narrow,  and  afforded 
none  but  terribly  monotonous  and  depressing  walks, 
so  that  during  the  whole  of  the  last  half  of  the  year 
1816  the  Emperor  only  went  out  riding  once  and  ten 
or  twelve  times  driving.  Although  more  frequent, 
his  outings  on  foot  were  also  neither  sufficiently 
numerous  nor  sufficiently  long,  and  his  health  soon 
became  impaired. 

Napoleon  had  an  extraordinary  slow  action  of  the 
blood.  His  pulse  often  marked  scarce  fifty-four  or  fifty- 
five  pulsations  a  minute  :  "  I  have  never  felt  my  heart 
beat,"  he  was  wont  to  remark.  "  I  sometimes  wonder 
whether  I  have  one."  Dr.  Corvisart,  it  is  stated, 
had  formerly  warned  him  that,  should  he  some  day 
cease  to  lead  a  very  active  life,  his  circulation  would 
slacken  still  further,  and  thus  cause  him  all  manner 
of  discomforts  :  particularly  cold  and  oedema  in  the 
extremities  of  his  limbs.  This  prediction  was  now 
being  fulfilled.  The  Emperor's  legs  swelled,  and  he 
could  only  keep  them  warm  by  frictions.  He  suffered, 
besides,  from  perpetual  headaches,  sore  throats,  and 
inflammations.     His  teeth,   once    so    fine,    began    to 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  215 

decay,  and  O'Meara  had  to  draw  three  molars  in 
succession.  The  surgeon  earnestly  recommended  him 
to  increase  the  number  of  his  walks  and  to  prolong 
their  duration.  "  How  is  that  possible,"  Napoleon 
replied,  "in  a  wretched  island  where  one  cannot  go 
for  a  mile  without  being  drenched  ;  of  which  the 
English,  although  accustomed  to  damp,  themselves 
complain  ?  An  accursed  island,  where  there  is 
neither  sun  nor  moon  to  be  seen  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  !  Constant  rain  and  fog  !  I  hate 
this  Longwood.  The  mere  sight  of  it  fills  me  with 
melancholy." 

Henry  devotes  a  page  of  eulogy  to  the  climate 
that  exasperated  the  Emperor.  He  sings  the  praises 
of  the  trades'  invigorating  blast  and  the  cool  plateau 
inhabited  by  Napoleon,  under  a  tropical  sky  agreeably 
veiled.  Forsyth  and  Seaton  are  enchanted  with  this 
favourable  testimony.  And  yet  entirely  divergent 
evidence  abounds  for  citation.  In  1859,  for  instance, 
Captain  Masselin,  of  the  French  Engineers,  was  sent 
by  his  Government  to  Saint  Helena,  and  stayed  there 
two  years.  He  has  left  a  very  sober,  and,  to  all 
appearances,  a  very  accurate  account  of  his  mission. 
This  is  his  appreciation  of  the  coolness  extolled  by 
Henry  :  "  No  hygrometrical  observations  comparable 
with  those  registered  in  other  damp  climates  have  as 
yet  been  made.  It  is  natural  to  suppose,  however, 
that  the  atmosphere  is  constantly  at  its  highest 
degree  of  saturation.  Certain  indications  noted  in 
the  household  of  Longwood  bear  out  that  assumption  : 


2i6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

silk  stuffs  and  gloves,  even  when  placed  in  closed 
boxes,  become  quickly  covered  with  ineffaceable 
reddish  spots  ;  leather  articles  are,  in  the  space  of  a 
few  days,  thickly  coated  with  mildew."  Is  it  neces- 
sary to  add  the  opinion  of  a  man  whose  authority 
nobody  can  challenge  with  regard  to  the  place  of 
residence  assigned  to  the  Emperor  ?  Mr.  John 
Charles  Melliss,  civil  engineer  in  the  British  Colonies, 
spent  a  great  part  of  his  life  at  Saint  Helena  ;  for 
several  years  he  was  engaged  in  studying  its  geology, 
its  meteorology,  its  flora  and  fauna.  In  1873  he 
published  a  voluminous,  conscientious,  and  learned 
work,  the  best  description  of  the  island  that  exists. 
He  says  :  "  Longwood  is  a  bleak,  cold,  exposed 
situation,  and  the  complaints  of  Napoleon's  staff 
against  it  as  such  were  not  without  some  reason." 

No  doubt  even  continual  icy  blasts  and  excessive 
dampness  do  not  make  a  spot  uninhabitable.  Physical 
activity  is  a  defence  against  such  defects  of  climate. 
Thanks  to  their  compulsory  occupations,  and  the 
perpetual  movement  necessitated  by  a  military  life, 
the  assistant-surgeon,  Henry,  and  the  English  officers 
quartered  close  to  the  Emperor's  house  bore  them 
cheerfully,  as  may  readily  be  conjectured. 

But  for  a  man  in  Napoleon's  position,  Longwood 
could  not  possibly  be  a  harmless  dwelling-place. 
Movements  made  for  no  other  than  hygienic  reasons, 
walks  taken  solely  in  order  to  obtain  exercise,  are  at 
best  a  moderately  agreeable  and  inviting  pastime, 
with   which  one  dispenses  on   the   slightest  pretext  ; 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  217 

and  the  pretexts  here  were  indeed  only  too  often  real 
hindrances.  For  half  the  year  the  plateau,  dry,  hard, 
and  impervious  just  below  the  surface,  was  covered 
with  a  slimy  coat  of  mud,  a  mire  extremely  dis- 
couraging to  the  pedestrian.  If  by  chance  the 
Emperor  contemplated  going  out,  rain,  as  a  rule, 
began  to  fall  in  fine,  close,  relentless  drops.  On  the 
cessation  of  the  shower,  when  the  sky  cleared  up 
and  let  through  the  first  rays  of  the  sun,  the  whole 
elevated  plain,  saturated  with  water,  steamed  like  a 
volcano,  exhaled  white  vapour,  mingling  as  it  rose 
with  fragments  of  clouds  swept  by  the  trades  along 
the  level  of  the  ground.  Even  in  fine  weather  the 
outings  were  far  from  pleasant.  Under  shelter  of 
the  Longwood  buildings  or  in  depressions  of  the  soil 
the  air  quivered  with  heat,  the  tropical  sun  blazed 
fiercely.  In  exposed  regions  the  south-east  wind 
blew  in  icy  gusts.  Differences  of  eighteen  and  even 
twenty-seven  degrees  Fahrenheit  were  experienced 
at  intervals  of  a  few  yards  and  of  a  few  seconds. 
The  Emperor  was  extremely  sensitive  to  these 
sudden  variations.  For  his  constitution,  so  hardy 
in  action,  was  delicate  and  exceptionally  susceptible 
at  rest,  and  became  more  so  every  day.  "  I  seldom 
go  out,"  he  remarked,  "without  getting  a  headache, 
a  cold,  or  rheumatic  pains."  The  abrupt  changes  of 
temperature  also  affected  the  texture  of  Napoleon's 
skin  by  contracting  it  excessively,  and  impeded  his 
cutaneous  functions.  They  obstructed  an  old  exan- 
thema, an  eruption,  which,  for  the  good  of  his  health, 


2i8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

had  to  make  its  appearance  periodically  on  the  outer 
side  of  his  thighs,  and  the  discontinuance  of  which 
never  failed  to  bring  about  painful  relapses  of  his 
dysury. 

The  year  1816  was  hardly  out  when  Dr.  O'Meara 
expressed  the  opinion  that  Napoleon,  his  body  en- 
feebled by  various  disorders,  could  not  henceforth 
support  a  serious  disease.  This  disease  was  in  process 
of  development,  and  already  existed  in  a  latent  state. 
It  became  manifest  the  following  year.  In  October, 
1 81 7,  the  Emperor  complained  of  a  pain  in  the  right 
hypochondriac  region,  immediately  above  the  cartil- 
age of  the  ribs.  He  felt,  as  he  explained,  a  need  of 
leaning,  of  pressing  his  side  against  some  hard  object. 
This  was  the  first  definite  sign  of  the  cancer  which  was 
to  perforate  his  stomach  and  bring  about  his  death. 

Napoleon  had  previously  experienced,  at  the  same 
spot,  what  he  called  pallor,  a  slight  and  casual  cold 
sensation,  owing  to  which  he  gradually  acquired 
the  habit  of  laying  his  hand  upon  his  groin  and 
rubbing  himself  there.  For  some  time  O'Meara 
attached  no  importance  to  this  vague  discomfort. 
But  now,  on  examination  of  the  affected  part,  he 
found  it  sensitive  to  the  touch,  and  visibly  swollen  ; 
and,  abiding  also  by  further  observations,  he  con- 
cluded that  his  august  patient  was  afflicted  with 
hepatitis,   or  inflammation  of  the  liver. 

The  English  surgeon  has  been  censured  for  this 
error  in  his  diagnosis.  There  are,  however,  several 
reasons   that   render   it   excusable.      Not    to   mention 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  219 

the  frequent  similarity  of  other  symptoms,  inflamma- 
tion of  the  liver,   as  well  as   cancer  of  the  stomach, 
causes   pain    in    the    epigastrium,    and    reveals    itself 
externally  by  a  protuberance.     And,  as  regards  the 
particular  case  of  Napoleon,  the  Emperor  considered 
his  stomach  excellent  :  "  I  have  never  suffered  from 
it,"  he  often  said  to  Las  Cases.     He  certainly  gave 
O'Meara  the  same  assurance.     On  the  contrary,  his 
bilious  temperament,  which  was  indicated  by  his  com- 
plexion, inevitably  disposed  the  doctor  to  the  theory 
of    hepatitis — a    disease    deemed    endemic    at    Saint 
Helena,  and  of  which,  rightly  or  wrongly,  all  or  nearly 
all    the    residents    in    the    island    complained.     The 
reports  of  the  three  foreign  Commissioners  should  be 
read  on  this  subject.     In  December,  18 16,  the  Marquis 
de    Montchenu    says,     in    a    letter    to    the    Duc    de 
Richelieu  :  "  Mortality  is  the  chief  fashion  here  now  ; 
it  is  considerable,  but  as  long  as  it  does  not  attack 
Longwood  I  feel  sure  it  will  spare  me.     Congestion 
of  the  liver  is   especially  common.     Count   Balmain 
has  already   been    seized   with    it,    but  his  case   was 
taken    in   time.  ..."     Baron    Sturmer,    in   a    letter 
dated  January  10th,  1817,  writes  to  Prince  Metternich  : 
"A  great  number  of  Englishmen  are  suffering  from 
obstructions  of  the  liver  and  inflammatory  diseases." 
And,  subsequently, — if  further  testimony  is  required- — 
a   correspondent   of  the  Morning  Chronicle  informs 
the    London   newspaper  :    "  Liver  complaints,  dysen- 
teries, and  bowel  affections  of  the  most  violent  nature 
prevail  here  to  a  most  alarming  extent.     Perhaps  in 


2  2o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

no  given  space  of  the  same  extent  of  the  world  is 
hepatitis  so  frequently  found,  or  under  such  formidable 
appearances,  suppuration  frequently  taking  place  in 
the  few  days  from  the  first  attack,  whilst  others  are 
spun  out  to  a  more  protracted,  but  equally  fatal 
termination.  Not  a  day  passes  without  our  ears 
beinor  dinned  with  the  lugubrious  sound  of  the 
funeral  bell,  tolling  for  two  or  three  who  have  fallen 
victims  to  its  mortality." 

Dr.  O'Meara  accordingly  treated  the  Emperor 
for  liver  complaint.  In  order  to  purify  the  blood 
and  stimulate  the  biliary  secretion  to  its  normal 
activity,  he  first  prescribed  anodyne  purgatives,  and 
then  had  recourse  to  mercurial  pills  and  calomel, 
which  is  also  partially  composed  of  mercury.  The 
only  effect  of  this  metal  was  to  add  colics,  nausea, 
and  vomitings  to  all  the  ills  from  which  Napoleon 
already  suffered.  Naturally,  the  pain  in  the  epi- 
gastrium did  not  disappear.  When  O'Meara  left 
Saint  Helena,  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1818,  the 
malady  remained  stationary. 

In  spite  of  the  mistake  made  by  the  English 
surgeon,  one  cannot  help  regretting  that  he  was 
removed  from  the  Emperor.  His  successors,  Doctors 
Stokoe  and  Antommarchi,  were  not  to  surpass  him 
in  perspicacity,  but  simply  to  repeat  the  same  errors 
of  diagnosis  and  treatment.  True  enough,  Hudson 
Lowe  on  various  occasions  recommended  other 
physicians,  who,  had  they  been  consulted,  would, 
according    to    some,    have    proved    more    discerning. 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  221 

They  would,  to  be  sure,  have  carefully  avoided 
declaring  for  hepatitis,  for  neither  the  Governor  nor 
the  British  Government  would  admit  the  existence 
of  that  affection  in  the  island.  But  would  they  have 
suspected  cancer,  about  which  so  little  was  known 
at  the  opening  of  the  last  century  ?  One  example 
makes  it  doubtful.  Dr.  Arnott,  held  in  high  esteem 
professionally,  and  chosen  with  the  approval  of 
Plantation,  was  called  at  the  eleventh  hour  to  the 
bedside  of  the  dying  Emperor.  He  only  formed  a 
correct  opinion  with  regard  to  Napoleon's  malady 
after  his  death,  at  the  post-mortem  examination, 
when  his  corpse  lay  opened  on  the  dissecting-table. 

The  question  of  treatment  was,  moreover,  rather 
a  matter  of  indifference  in  the  case  of  the  Emperor. 
For  he  had  no  faith  in  medicines  and  hated  them. 
Mercury  turned  his  stomach,  to  use  an  expressive 
vulgarism  ;  he  refused  to  take  it  except  in  small 
doses,  and,  after  each  experiment,  soon  gave  up  its 
employment  ;  the  havoc  wrought  by  this  dire  metal 
only  too  fully  justified  his  fears.  Indeed,  he  dis- 
puted the  properties  of  the  simplest  and  commonest 
remedies  :  "I  prefer  to  let  nature  take  its  course,"  he 
declared  to  O'Meara  ;  "chicken  broth  is  more  efficacious 
than  all  your  drugs."  And  he  almost  always  relied 
on  his  own  therapeutics.  He  sought  relief  from  his 
epigastric  pain,  which  was  still  dull,  and  from  his  in- 
termittent dysury,  by  taking  very  hot  and  prolonged 
baths.  To  restore  the  cutaneous  functions,  he  had 
recourse  to  perspiration,  had  his  bed  thoroughly  warmed 


222  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

and  overloaded  with  blankets.     When  he  wanted  to 
cure  a  cold  he  drank  decoctions  of  barley  and  honey. 
If  perchance  he  suffered  from  indigestion,  which  began 
to  occur  at  this  period,  he  immediately  dieted  himself. 
The   medical  practitioners   could   hardly  shorten   the 
life   of  a  patient  so  full  of  common  sense,   however 
great  their  blunders.      Unfortunately,   it  was  equally 
hard  for  them,  assuming  their  skill  and  clear-sighted- 
ness, to  prolong  it.     Cancer,  combined  with  despair, 
that  other  terrible  ill  of  the  Emperor,  was,  in  a  given 
time,   to  accomplish  its   inevitable   evolution   and  its 
work.       In    such   cases   the    doctor  obtains    but    few 
results  from  his  science.      If  he  continues  to  play  a 
part,  it  is  almost  entirely  because  his  attendance  never 
loses  its  moral  value.     Although  powerless   to  heal, 
and  often  even  incapable  of  assuaging  physical  agony, 
he   yet  creates,   at   certain   moments,   the   illusion   of 
affording  assistance  to  the  sufferer.      When  his  person 
is   pleasing,   and  his  acquaintance   of  long  standing, 
he  is  besides,  at  the  supreme  moment,  an  additional 
friendly  figure,  as  it  were,  at  the  bedside  of  the  dying 
man.       Such    would    O'Meara    have    been    for    the 
Emperor  ;  he  had  made  himself  agreeable  to  Napoleon, 
who  had  grown  accustomed  to  him.     Let  it  be  said 
once   more,   his  departure  from   Longwood  is  to  be 
regretted. 

It  is  doubly  to  be  regretted.  For  the  English 
surgeon  kept  a  very  complete  diary  of  the  doings 
which  he  witnessed,  and  had  he  remained  at 
Saint  Helena,  we  should  know   many  things   about 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  223 

the    last    years    of    the    Captivity    that    are    hidden 
from  us. 

The  diary  in  question  has  been  extremely  severely 
dealt  with.  O'Meara,  in  his  capacity  as  a  doctor, 
has  only  incurred  fairly  moderate  criticisms  ;  in  his 
capacity  as  a  memorialist  he  has  been  made,  and  still 
remains,  the  butt  of  furious  attacks.  The  partisans 
of  Hudson  Lowe  pursue  him  with  deadly  hatred  ;  no 
witness  unfavourable  to  the  Governor  is  so  odious  in 
their  eyes.  Perhaps  no  writer  exists  whose  authority 
has  been  more  strenuously  assailed  in  every  way,  and 
particularly  by  the  impeachment,  the  aspersion,  the 
defamation  of  the  man  himself.  O'Meara  has  been 
reproached  for  having  lost,  previous  to  Saint  Helena, 
while  assistant-surgeon  of  a  regiment,  owing  to  an 
affair  of  honour,  a  rank  in  the  army  that  he  almost 
immediately  recovered  in  the  navy.  The  affair  of 
honour  consisted  merely  of  a  duel  in  which  he  partici- 
pated as  second.  He  has  been  reproached  for  having 
married,  after  Saint  Helena,  a  woman  older  than 
himself.  Had  he  led  a  bride  of  even  a  hundred 
summers  to  the  altar — in  1823 — what  interest  could 
the  matter  have  in  connection  with  Napoleon's 
captivity  ? 

As  for  that,  with  regard  to  Saint  Helena  itself, 
the  reproaches  made  O'Meara  assume  a  more  serious 
character.  His  diary  for  three  years,  in  the  terms  in 
which  he  published  it,  shows  him  always  taking  the 
side  of  the  Emperor  and  denouncing  all  the  vexations 
of   Hudson   Lowe.     Yet  for  a  considerable  time  he 


224  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

felt  in  reality  but  little  sympathy  for  Napoleon,  and 
displayed  no  disapproval  of  the  Governor,  as  his 
correspondence  with  the  clerk,  Finlaison,  and  others 
besides,  has  revealed.  Thereupon  his  adversaries 
triumphantly  cry  :  "  The  man  was  double-faced.  He 
kept  changing  his  sentiments  and  opinions  ;  he  is  an 
unreliable  witness,  devoid  of  sincerity  and  conviction  ; 
he  does  not  deserve  a  hearing,  and  should  have  no 
voice  in  the  controversy." 

To  explain  O'Meara's  position  at  Saint  Helena 
is  to  dispute  this  impeachment. 

When  leaving  Europe,  the  Emperor  asked  the 
French  doctor,  Maingault,  to  follow  him.  On  his 
refusal  he  requested  the  services  of  O'Meara.  The 
latter  was  at  that  time  surgeon  on  board  the  Bel- 
leropkon.  He  was  allowed  to  become  Napoleon's 
physician,  but  did  not  cease  to  belong  to  the  British 
Navy,  and  retained  his  rank  and  pay.  The  arrange- 
ment was  regrettable  :  in  this  manner  he  combined 
his  former  situation  and  his  new  functions,  was 
destined  to  be  too  much  influenced  as  to  his  line  of 
conduct,  now  by  the  one,  now  by  the  other,  and  to 
forfeit  more  or  less  esteem  in  both  capacities.  Out 
of  desire  to  please  his  chiefs,  he  rendered  himself 
guilty  towards  his  illustrious  patient  of  a  lack  of 
respect  and  professional  discretion  ;  later,  on  the 
Emperor's  behalf,  he  transgressed  his  military  duty. 

At  the  outset  of  his  office  at  Longwood  O'Meara 
lets  himself  be  dominated  and  guided  by  his  judgment 
as   an    officer   and    his   English   sentiments.      He   is, 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  225 

naturally  enough,  somewhat  prejudiced  against  the 
French  and  Napoleon.  He  shows  it  in  the  first 
details  about  Saint  Helena  that  he  communicates  to 
his  friend  Finlaison  of  the  Admiralty,  and  Finlaison 
in  return  informs  him,  on  July  3rd,  1816  :  "Your 
letters  of  the  16th  of  March  and  22nd  of  April  came 
duly  to  hand,  and  furnished  a  real  feast  to  some  very 
great  folks  here.  .  .  .  The  moment  they  came  they 
were  given  to  Mr.  Croker,  who  considered  them 
extremely  interesting,  and  circulated  copies  among 
the  Cabinet  Ministers.  ...  I  conjecture  also  that 
your  letters  have  even  amused  his  Royal  Highness 
the  Prince  Regent  :  they  are  written  with  such  dis- 
crimination, good  sense,  and  naïveté,  that  they  could 
not  fail  to  be  acceptable.  ..." 

Is  it  surprising  that  a  mere  naval  surgeon,  flattered 
and  beside  himself  at  such  a  compliment,  loses  his 
reserve  as  a  doctor,  becomes  loquacious,  and  tries 
his  hand  at  a  few  satirical  reports  at  the  expense  of 
Napoleon  and  his  companions?  If,  in  addition,  in 
another  correspondence,  to  which  his  position  at 
Longwood  gave  rise — this  time  with  Hudson  Lowe, 
Gorrequer,  the  secretary,  and  Adjutant  -  General 
Thomas  Reade — O'Meara  speaks  in  terms  more  than 
malicious,  in  terms  really  uncivil,  of  Las  Cases, 
Bertrand,  Gourgaud,  and  de  Montholon,  he  has  still 
this  excuse  :  he  shares  the  narrow,  irritating  life  of 
the  French  exiles,  he  lodges  near  them,  is  to  a  certain 
degree  associated  with  their  quarrels,  and,  to  a  certain 
degree  also,  takes  on  their  bitterness.  What  is  less 
15 


226  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

pardonable,  on  his  part,  is  his  indulgence  in  unseemly, 
and,  at  times,  indecent  jests  about  Mesdames  Bertrand 
and  de  Montholon,  at  which  Forsyth  and  Seaton  are 
most  justly  indignant.  But  is  he  alone  responsible 
with  regard  to  these  jests  ?  He  wrote  them,  it  is 
true,  but  who  read  them  ?  Hudson  Lowe  and  his 
staff;  and  for  all  we  know  the  Governor  never  for- 
bade nor  even  discountenanced  them.  He  therefore 
tacitly  encouraged  the  surgeon,  and  became  an 
accomplice  as  blameworthy  as  the  man  whose  un- 
becoming behaviour  he  tolerated.  His  responsibility 
is  still  greater.  For  if  O'Meara,  a  subaltern,  who 
frequented  the  mess  and  the  guard-house,  may,  in  a 
certain  measure,  be  forgiven  for  having  so  far  for- 
gotten himself  as  to  circulate  soldier-like  scandal 
about  women,  Hudson  Lowe,  a  general,  an  important 
official  and  master  of  Plantation,  is  in  nowise  excusable 
for  having  listened  to,  and  taken  marked  pleasure  in, 
such  scandal.  So  well  aware  of  the  fact  was  he,  that 
neither  at  Saint  Helena,  when  the  doctor,  weary  of 
his  inquisitorial  curiosity  and  proceedings,  rebelled 
and  openly  championed  the  Emperor's  cause,  nor 
after  Saint  Helena,  when  O'Meara  vehemently 
attacked  him  in  writing,  did  he  dare  to  divulge, 
by  way  of  retaliation,  a  correspondence  of  so  com- 
promising a  character.  It  was  Forsyth,  his  biographer, 
who,  acting  less  cautiously,  revealed  it. 

In  short,  O'Meara  had  his  failings,  but  the  man 
himself  was  as  estimable  as  many  another.  The  same 
holds  good  for  the  writer.     His  books  contain  a  few 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  227 

inaccuracies,  and  are  at  variance  with  his  corre- 
spondence on  certain  points.  Is  this  sufficient  reason 
for  declaring  them  to  be  of  no  account,  for  denying- 
them  all  merit  as  documents  of  reference  ?  Where, 
in  all  history,  is  the  absolute,  the  entire  truth  to  be 
found  ?  Where,  especially,  in  this  history  of  Saint 
Helena,  of  which — it  must  ever  be  remembered — the 
chief  recorders  were  also  the  actors  ?  As  Lord 
Rosebery  points  out  at  the  beginning  of  The  Last 
Phase,  when  examining  and  reviewing  the  sources  of 
which  he  is  about  to  make  use,  not  a  single  one  of 
the  memorialists  of  the  Captivity  deserves  implicit 
confidence  ;  not  one  of  them  but,  here  or  there, 
misrepresents  a  fact,  sometimes  in  favour  of  Napoleon, 
sometimes  in  favour  of  Hudson  Lowe:  "There 
seems,"  he  says,  "to  have  been  something  in  the  air 
of  Saint  Helena  that  blighted  exact  truth  ;  and  he 
who  collates  the  various  narratives  on  any  given 
point  will  find  hopeless  contradictions.  .  .  .  There  is 
a  strange  mildew  that  rests  on  them  all,  as  on  the 
books  and  boots  in  the  island."  However,  books 
and  boots  coated  with  mildew  are  not  always  thrown 
away  ;  and  in  spite  of  their  imperfections  the  records 
of  the  Captivity  should  not  be  rejected.  The  ex- 
perienced historian  does  not  lack  means  of  verifying 
them,  and  can  separate  the  tares  from  the  wheat.  If 
we  adopt  this  method  with  O'Meara,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  process  is  favourable  to  him. 

He   has   published    two    works.     The    first    is    a 
smart  reply  to    the  dithyrambic  pages  in  which  the 


228  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

facetious  Theodore  Hook,  inspired  by  Hudson  Lowe, 
celebrates  the  agreeable  exile  of  the  Emperor  and  the 
Eden-like  beauty  of  Longwood.  There  is  an  appreci- 
ation of  this  writing  by  de  Gors,  a  man  in  an  excel- 
lent position  to  judge  and  estimate  it  at  its  proper 
value.  In  a  report  to  the  Cabinet  in  Paris,  the 
secretary  of  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu  states  that  it 
contains  details  that  are  certainly  erroneous,  but  "far 
fewer  exaggerations  and  many  more  truths  "  than 
Hook's  volume.  He  acknowledges  particularly  the 
accuracy  of  O'Meara's  remarks  about  the  climate  of 
Saint  Helena. 

The  surgeon's  second  book,  his  journal,  is  of  much 
greater  importance.  Nothing,  however,  is  so  simple 
as  to  criticise  and  appraise  it,  if  only  the  trouble  of 
classifying  its  contents  and  examining  its  every 
subject  separately  be  taken. 

To  begin  with,  it  is  manifest — nobody,  or  hardly 
anybody,  has  ever  dreamed  of  casting  a  doubt  on  the 
score — that  O'Meara  reports  faithfully  the  opinions 
expressed  by  Napoleon  on  his  wars,  his  policy,  his 
family,  on  points  of  history,  military  science,  admini- 
stration and  religion.  He  has  evidently  no  interest 
in  misrepresenting  these  opinions,  and,  although  he 
heard  them  in  Italian  and  then  translated  and  pub- 
lished them  in  English,  in  no  other  memorialist  of 
Saint  Helena,  with  the  exception  of  Gourgaud,  are 
the  Emperor's  conversations,  his  mode  of  thought 
and  turn  of  phrase,  so  readily  recognisable.  The  fact 
that  with  regard  to  about  a  half  and  such  an  inter- 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  229 

esting  part  of  his  journal,  O'Meara  is  undeniably 
reliable  already  speaks  in  his  favour,  as  will  be  freely 
granted. 

He  is  equally  so  when  he  describes  Napoleon's 
habits  and  way  of  living  at  Longwood,  as  comparison 
with  other  accounts  shows.  Besides,  in  these  matters 
also,  why  should  he  deceive  the  reader  ? 

Two  subjects,  about  which  his  veracity  may 
reasonably  be  suspected,  remain. 

Is  his  information  with  respect  to  the  Emperor's 
health  during  the  years  1816,  181 7  and  18 18  correct? 
Does  he  falsely  represent  Napoleon  as  seriously  ill 
from  the  outset  of  the  Captivity,  with  the  intention  of 
bringing  the  harsh  treatment  of  Saint  Helena  into 
stronger  relief  and  thus  arousing  greater  indignation  ? 
— The  habitual  duration  and  slow  ravages  of  cancer 
justify  a  negative  answer. 

But,  lastly,  O'Meara  is  at  least  guilty  of  erroneous 
allegations,  of  accusations  against  Hudson  Lowe  that 
appear  excessive  ?  Here  one  is  obliged  to  reply  in 
the  affirmative — that  is  the  defect,  the  sole  defect, 
perhaps,  of  his  journal.  The  English  surgeon  does 
not  speak  with  all  the  impartiality  desirable  of  the 
man  who  tore  him  brutally  from  Longwood,  and 
ruined  his  military  career  ;  he  is  unable  to  resist  the 
temptation  of  adding  a  few  black  traits — quite  super- 
fluous !— to  the  sombre  countenance  of  the  Governor. 
Yet,  if  in  the  portrait  he  sketches  of  his  enemy  certain 
incorrect  details  are  noticeable,  this  portrait  remains 
on  the  whole  an  extremely  faithful  likeness.      Other 


230  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

pictures  enable  us  to  verify  it.  To  take  those  by  the 
Emperor's  companions  as  standards  of  comparison 
would  appear  partial,  and  to  do  so  is  besides  in  no 
wise  necessary.  A  French  Legitimist,  the  Marquis  de 
Montchenu  ;  a  Russian  diplomatist,  Count  Balmain  ; 
an  Austrian,  Baron  Sturmer  ;  an  English  admiral, 
Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm,  offer  sufficient  guarantee  for 
the  general  truth  of  O'Meara's  statements. 

He  represents  Hudson  Lowe  as  worrying  him 
daily  with  interminable  questions  about  Longwood, 
never  satisfied  with  the  answers  given,  always  grow- 
ing more  exacting  as  to  their  number  and  precision. 
The  Governor  has  protested,  and  Forsyth  and  Seaton 
maintain,  that  he  was  not  of  an  inquisitive  disposition, 
that  he  detested  cross-examining  people,  and  that  if 
Napoleon's  doctor  made  him  long  reports,  it  was 
spontaneously  and  without  any  solicitation  or  con- 
straint on  his  part.  One  would  do  well  to  read  the 
correspondence  of  the  three  foreign  Commissioners, 
and  the  inquiries  to  which  he  had  the  insolence  to 
subject  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  Count  Balmain, 
and  Baron  Sturmer  !  O'Meara  shows  Hudson  Lowe 
as  often  illogical,  extravagant,  and  absurd  in  conver- 
sation. Again,  one  would  do  well  to  read  the  foreign 
Commissioners.  O'Meara  accuses  Hudson  Lowe  of 
indulgence  in  vulgar  expressions,  in  rude  remarks,  and 
in  violent  scenes.  Once  more,  one  would  do  well  to 
read  the  Commissioners  !  Finally,  O'Meara  asserts 
that  Hudson  Lowe  could  not  remain  on  good  terms 
with    anybody,    and    saw   nothing    but    traitors    and 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  231 

treachery  among  his  compatriots  and  subordinates. 
To  verify  this  assertion,  one  has  only  to  glance  through 
the  notes,  in  which  Lady  Malcolm  relates  how  the 
Governor  insulted  her  husband,  the  Admiral,  by  his 
suspicions,  and  the  disgraceful  system  of  spying 
established  in  the  island  of  exile  over  English 
officers  ! 

No  !  A  Voice  from  Saint  Helena,  by  which  all 
those  matters  were  first  revealed  to  Europe,  is  not  a 
lying  voice,  as  some,  finding  in  the  title  an  easy 
subject  for  the  display  of  their  wit,  would  have  it  ; 
O'Meara's  journal  is  not  a  wretched  book,  as  Lord 
Rosebery,  who,  in  the  main,  speaks  so  judiciously  of 
the  memorialists  of  the  Captivity,  has  thought  fit  to 
grant  as  a  concession  to  the  yelping  of  Mr.  Seaton,  a 
poor  imitator  of  Forsyth's  baying.  A  Voice  from 
Saint  Helena  is  an  excellent  historical  book,  in  spite 
of  defects.  What  book  is  without  them  !  What 
man,  too,  is  free  from  reproach  !  It  is  elementary 
psychology — the  remark  is  an  old  one — to  expect  a 
character  to  be  perfect,  to  be  endowed  only  with  good 
qualities,  and  to  be  always  consistent.  O'Meara  was 
changeable,  O'Meara  sometimes  lacked  straight- 
forwardness, reserve,  and  decorum,  but  O'Meara  was 
so  placed  as  to  commit  faults,  and  these  faults,  more- 
over, do  not  prevent  his  testimony  from  being  almost 
unanimously  confirmed. 

As  regards  his  wrongs  towards  Napoleon,  they 
were  fully  redeemed  by  his  devoted,  if  unenlightened, 
attendance    on    the     Emperor    in    his     professional 


232  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

capacity,  by  the  amiability  and  kind  services  which 
made  him  an  invaluable  guest  at  Longwood  ;  finally, 
by  the  zeal  he  displayed,  during  the  greater  part  of 
his  residence  at  Saint  Helena,  in  defending  the  great 
captive  against  the  Governor's  vexations.  In  spite 
of  everything,  he  has  deserved  these  verses  by  Lord 
Byron  : 

"And  the  stiff  surgeon,  who  maintained  his  cause, 
Hath  lost  his  place  and  gained  the  world's  applause." 

Poets  have  a  sense  of  what  is  true  and  just,  that 
enables  them  to  discern,  without  the  help  of  docu- 
mentary evidence,  the  merits  of  certain  men  in  certain 
situations.  Byron's  judgment  well  counterbalances 
Mr.  Seaton's  opinion. 

After  O'Meara  had  been  removed  from  him,  in 
July,  1818,  Napoleon  was  for  a  long  while  deprived 
of  medical  attendance.  Strictly  speaking,  Hudson 
Lowe  had  placed  a  new  physician  at  Longwood  : 
Surgeon-Major  Verling,  of  the  Artillery.  But  his 
services  were  not  accepted  by  the  Emperor,  who 
claimed  the  right  of  choosing  his  own  doctor,  as 
was  natural  enough  on  the  part  of  a  patient. 

The  state  of  Napoleon's  health  remained  un- 
changed ;  he  continued  to  feel  a  dull  pain  in  his  right 
side,  to  be  subject  to  oedema  of  the  legs,  to  intermittent 
cutaneous  affections,  and  to  relapses  of  his  dysury. 
Sensitive,  as  has  been  stated  already,  to  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  and  ever  more  disgusted 
with  the  site  and  climate  of  Longwood,  he  still 
further    restricted    the    number    of   his    outings,    and 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  233 

even  less  frequently  left  his  apartments,  where, 
dreading  the  damp,  he  acquired  the  habit  of  insisting 
on  so  large  a  fire  that  Counts  Bertrand  and  de 
Montholon  would  often  feel  indisposed,  and  that  his 
headaches,  until  then  of  a  mild  order,  became  violent 
and  were  accompanied  by  fits  of  giddiness.  Another 
excess  did  him  equal  harm.  He  took  occasionally 
as  many  as  three  hot  baths  a  day,  sometimes  to 
obtain  relief,  sometimes  merely  for  comfort's  sake. 
In  the  last  months  of  1818,  these  continual  immer- 
sions, the  hot-house  atmosphere  in  which  he  persisted 
in  living,  and  no  doubt  also  the  secret  progress  of 
his  cancer,  had  considerably  enfeebled  him  ;  he  began 
to  look  really  ill.  On  the  10th  of  October,  Captain 
Nicholls,  the  English  officer  attached  to  Longwood, 
reported  to  Hudson  Lowe  that  he  had  caught  sight 
of  General  Bonaparte,  and  that  "his  countenance 
appeared  excessively  cadaverous  and  ghastly." 

On  January  1st,  18 19,  the  Emperor's  legs  swelled 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  no  longer  able  to  stand. 
On  the  6th,  he  had  a  slight  syncope  while  engaged 
in  a  work  of  dictation,  and  on  the  7th,  a  Sunday, 
between  midnight  and  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a 
genuine  attack  of  apoplexy  that  made  him  lose  con- 
sciousness. 

The  assistance  of  a  physician  was  imperative. 
Napoleon  had  forbidden  recourse  to  Dr.  Verling 
under  any  consideration.  Marshal  Bertrand  wrote 
out  an  urgent  letter  and  requested  Captain  Nicholls 
to  send  it  on  to  Dr.  Stokoe. 


234  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

What  followed  is  so  characteristic  of  the  sordid 
transactions  of  Saint  Helena,  that  it  must  be  related 
at  some  length. 

Dr.  Stokoe  was  the  surgeon  of  the  Conqueror,  the 
vessel  of  the  line  which  sported  the  flag  of  the  glorious 
Admiral  of  The  Briars  in  Jamestown  harbour.  The 
Emperor  knew  him  slightly,  having  seen  him  once 
in  O'Meara's  company,  and  having,  on  another 
occasion,  authorised  the  latter  to  call  him  in  for  a 
consultation.  Stokoe,  apprehending  difficulties  with 
Hudson  Lowe,  on  account  of  the  opinion  which  he 
would  be  obliged  to  express,  had  declined.  At  the 
present  juncture,  in  spite  of  his  fears  of  fresh  personal 
annoyance,  he  could  no  longer  hesitate,  for  the  case 
appeared  serious.  He,  moreover,  received  orders  from 
Sir  Robert  Plampin  to  proceed  to  Longwood. 

He  did  not  arrive  there  until  about  seven  o'clock, 
for  Marshal  Bertrand's  message  only  reached  him  on 
board  the  Conqueror  after  having  gone  to  the 
Governor  at  Plantation,  and  then  to  the  Admiral 
at  The  Briars  :  a  hierarchical  journey  that  allowed  the 
apoplexy  ample  time  to  accomplish  its  work.  But 
the  Emperor's  hour  had  not  yet  come.  He  had 
recovered  his  senses,  asked  for  a  bath,  and  now 
seemed  to  be  quietly  resting. 

Stokoe  was  requested  to  await  his  awakening. 

He  obtained  detailed  information  about  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  night  and  the  general  state  of  the 
patient.  Napoleon's  fainting  fit,  following  after  ex- 
treme   oppression    and    giddiness,   was    described    to 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  235 

him,  and  further,  the  dull  pain  in  the  right  groin 
which  the  Emperor  had  long  felt,  and  which  now 
became  acute  and  was  accompanied  by  twitches  in 
the  shoulder.  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de 
Montholon  apprehended  especially  the  return  of 
similar  attacks,  necessitating  prompt  assistance.  No 
doubt,  as  they  were  well  aware,  Dr.  Verling  lived 
beside  them,  and  was  entirely  at  their  disposal. 
But  Napoleon  would  always  refuse  the  aid  of  a 
surgeon  designated  by  Hudson  Lowe  alone,  and 
imposed  upon  him  after  the  brutal  expulsion  of 
O'Meara.  He  intended  to  choose  his  own  physician, 
one  in  whose  zeal  and  character  he  could  have 
confidence. 

The  Frenchmen  proposed  to  Stokoe  that  he 
should  become  that  physician  ;  their  anxiety  would 
be  considerably  lessened  by  his  presence,  and  for  his 
personal  tranquillity,  articles  would  be  drawn  up  and 
presented  to  the  Admiral  and  the  Governor  for  their 
approbation,  which  would  clearly  define  the  duties  he 
was  to  assume  towards  the  Emperor,  and  those  which 
his  chiefs  would  still  be  entitled  to  claim  from  him. 
In  spite  of  all  these  precautions,  Stokoe  considered 
the  appointment  and  the  honour  replete  with  danger. 
He  resisted  for  a  time,  but  finally  gave  in  to  the 
repeated  entreaties  of  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count 
de  Montholon. 

During"  these  negotiations,  towards  eleven  o'clock, 
Napoleon  awoke.  The  doctor  was  shown  in  to  his 
room. 


236  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

The  Emperor's  face  was  still  congested.  The 
pain  in  his  right  side  had  not  abated,  and  a  slight 
pressure  on  the  spot  he  indicated  made  him  cry  out. 
Stokoe  committed  the  same  error  as  O'Meara,  and 
diagnosed  affection  of  the  liver.  He  wrote  out  a 
bulletin  stating  in  conclusion  :  "  From  the  evident 
tendency  of  a  determination  of  blood  to  the  head,  it 
will  be  highly  necessary  that  a  medical  man  should  be 
near  the  patient,  in  order  that  immediate  assistance 
may  be  afforded  in  case  of  a  recurrence  of  the  above 
alarming  symptoms,  as  well  as  for  the  daily  treat- 
ment of  chronic  hepatitis  which  the  above  symptoms 
indicate." 

The  doctor  left  Napoleon  at  two  o'clock.  He 
called  on  Admiral  Plampin  at  The  Briars,  and  sub- 
mitted to  him  the  document  containing  the  articles  pro- 
posed by  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de  Montholon. 

By  the  terms  of  this  document,  which  the  Emperor 
had  desired  to  dictate,  the  surgeon  of  the  Conqueror 
was,  with  the  consent  of  his  chiefs,  to  fill  at  Longwood 
the  post  left  vacant  since  the  departure  of  O'Meara. 
He  was  to  be  temporarily  freed  from  all  military  duty 
or  discipline,  and  to  be  considered  as  an  Englishman 
holding  a  civil  employment.  He  would  thus  enjoy 
the  requisite  measure  of  independence  that  his  pre- 
decessor had  lacked.  In  brief,  in  his  new  capacity, 
he  was  to  be  regarded  solely  as  Napoleon's  physician. 
He  would  draw  up  medical  bulletins  and  transmit 
them  to  the  authorities  of  Saint  Helena,  but  was  not 
to  be  obliged  to  render  an  account  of  what  he  might 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  237 

see  or  hear  at  Longwood,  unless  anything — such  as  a 
plan  of  escape — should  come  to  his  knowledge  the  con- 
cealment of  which  in  his  judgment  might  compromise 
his  oath  of  allegiance  to  his  country  and  his  sovereign. 

Sir  Robert  Plampin  read  the  document,  and  merely 
remarked  :  "  I  shall  refer  the  matter  to  the  Governor  ;  " 
whereupon  he  dismissed  the  surgeon  of  the  Conqueror, 
who  returned  to  his  ship. 

The  Frenchmen,  however,  had  sent  a  copy  of  the 
Act  to  Plantation  by  Captain  Nicholls.  At  five 
o'clock,  without  leaving  The  Briars,  the  Admiral  was 
in  possession  of  the  notification  he  desired  for  his 
o-uidance.     Hudson  Lowe  wrote  him  : — 

"  Sir, — I  do  myself  the  honour  to  enclose  to  your 
Excellency  a  letter  and  a  paper  I  have  this  moment 
received  from  the  orderly  officer  at  Longwood. 

"In  transmitting  them  for  your  Excellency's  con- 
sideration, I  think  it  right  at  the  same  time  to  mention 
I  have  as  yet  no  information  whether  Mr.  Stokoe  has 
seen  General  Bonaparte,  what  may  have  been  the 
nature  and  extent  of  his  communications  with  Count 
Bertrand,  or  what  may  have  been  the  arguments  used 
by  either  to  prevail  on  Mr.  Stokoe  to  give  his  assent 
to  proposals  of  such  a  nature  as  those  enclosed,  which 
were  in  no  wise  to  be  anticipated  from  the  suddenness 
and  occasion  of  his  call  to  attend  on  General  Bonaparte 
at  so  very  early  an  hour  this  morning,  without,  it 
appears,  any  previous  reference  to,  or  consultation 
with,  either  your  Excellency  or  me." 


238  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

This  meant,  when  read  between  the  lines,  that 
Hudson  Lowe  did  not  intend  to  appoint  a  physician 
to  Longwood  who  would  only  act  in  his  professional 
capacity  ;  he  expected  more  from  Dr.  Verling,  could 
he  but  succeed  in  thrusting  him  upon  the  Frenchmen, 
and  henceforward  his  mind  was  made  up  to  set  aside 
Stokoe.  He  began  by  incriminating  him,  by  seeking 
grounds  for  complaint  against  him.  He  expressed 
surprise  at  his  omission  to  call  at  Plantation  and  give 
an  account  there  of  his  visit  to  Napoleon,  and  blamed 
him  for  having  acceded  with  suspicious  haste  to  an 
unauthorised  agreement.  With  regard  to  the  visit, 
the  surgeon  of  the  Conqueror  had  made  his  report  to 
Sir  Robert  Plampin,  his  immediate  chief,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Admiral's  instructions.  With  regard 
to  the  agreement,  he  had  made  proper  reservations, 
and  stated  that,  willing  as  he  was,  the  consent  of  his 
superiors  was  essential.  Hudson  Lowe  learned  this 
from  Captain  Nicholls,  who  had  been  kept  constantly 
advised  of  the  negotiations  ;  but  it  suited  his  plans  to 
appear  unacquainted  with  the  fact,  and  to  regard  a 
purely  conditional  arrangement  as  a  settled  affair. 

During  the  evening,  the  Emperor's  state  gave  rise 
to  fresh  anxiety  on  the  part  of  the  Frenchmen,  and 
they  deemed  it  necessary  to  call  again  upon  the 
Governor,  and  sound  him  in  order  to  ascertain  his 
frame  of  mind,  and  to  secure  as  promptly  as  possible 
the  regular  services  of  Dr.  Stokoe.  About  nine 
o'clock  Count  de  Montholon,  escorted  by  an  officer, 
and    two    soldiers    carrying    lanterns,    proceeded    to 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  239 

Plantation  House  in  intense  darkness  and  pelting- 
rain.  An  interview  took  place  there,  at  which  Major 
Gorrequer,  Hudson  Lowe's  secretary,  was  present, 
and  of  which  he  took  notes.  No  account  could  show 
as  well  as  his  with  what  scepticism  or  indifference  the 
authorities  of  Saint  Helena  greeted  the  alarms  of 
Longwood,  and  how  shamefully  they  grudged 
Napoleon  the  help  of  a  doctor. 

"  Count  de  Montholon,"  says  the  military  recorder, 
after  a  few  remarks  in  guise  of  preamble,  "declared 
in  a  very  serious  manner  that  he  expected  the 
Emperor  would  have  a  return  of  the  attack  that 
night  which  he  had  experienced  the  previous  one,  and 
that  he  dreaded  un  coup  d'apoplexie,  that  the  blood 
rushed  up  into  his  head  comme  d'un  coup  de  piston, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  have  some  one  at  hand  to 
bleed  him,  should  a  recurrence  of  this  last  take  place. 
As  Mr.  Stokoe  was  the  only  medical  man  in  whom 
the  Emperor  had  ever  manifested  any  confiance,  he 
(Count  de  Montholon)  trusted  that  the  Governor 
would  make  no  objection  to  his  remaining  at  Long- 
wood  while  the  question  of  his  permanent  establish- 
ment there  was  under  consideration. 

"The  Governor  expressed  himself  not  averse  to 
Mr.  Stokoe  giving  his  medical  aid  until  his  decision 
on  the  proposals  transmitted  to  him  regarding  that 
person  should  be  communicated.  He  explained  at 
the  same  time  to  Count  Montholon  that  Mr.  Stokoe 
was  under  the  Admiral's  authority,  and  that  he  could 
not  dispose  of  his  services. 


240  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"Count  Montholon  said  that  the  Governor  repre- 
sented the  Prince  Regent  there,  and  would  give  his 
orders  to  all  those  under  him. 

"The  Governor  replied  that  Count  Montholon 
was  under  an  error  in  this  point  ;  that  the  naval 
Commander-in-chief,  the  head  of  another  service,  was 
entirely  independent  of  him,  and  he  could  give  no 
orders  whatever  to  persons  under  his  authority.  He 
would,  however,  confer  with  the  Admiral  on  the 
matter,  '  mais  quil  était  décidé  à  ne  pas  se  laisser 
pousser  à  donner  réponse,'  until  he  had  consulted  with 
him,  which  he,  however,  would  do  as  soon  as  he  could. 
He  added  that  Mr.  Stokoe  would  be  there  next 
morning,  or  else  his  decision  would  be  known  by  that 
time.   .  .  ." 

In  short,  Hudson  Lowe  made  no  promises,  and 
Napoleon  was  left  without  the  assurance  of  medical 
attendance. 

The  conference,  tragic  enough  as  regards  the  cir- 
cumstances that  occasioned  it  and  the  events  that 
might  ensue,  only  led  to  this  burlesque  result  :  the 
declaration  of  Sir  Robert  Plampin's  independence  ! 

Count  de  Montholon  had  not  yet  returned  from 
Plantation  House  when,  the  Emperor  being  again 
seized  with  violent  pains  in  the  head,  Marshal  Bertrand 
felt  obliged  to  send  a  fresh  messenger  to  the  Governor, 
demanding  Stokoe's  immediate  presence.  But  Hudson 
Lowe  had  resolved  henceforth  not  to  worry  about  the 
appeals  of  those  people  at  Longwood,  as  he  designated 
Napoleon's   suite.     Although    in    possession  at   mid- 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  241 

night  of  a  letter  intended  for  the  doctor,  he  kept  it 
for  twelve  hours,  and  only  forwarded  it  on  Monday, 
the  1 8th  of  January,  at  midday.  By  then,  such  a  kind 
attention  was  to  no  purpose.  The  surgeon  of  the 
Conqueror  had  not  delayed  so  long  before  visiting 
Napoleon.  With  the  Admiral's  consent,  he  had  been 
by  the  Emperor's  bedside  since  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

The  state  of  his  patient  seemed  to  confirm  his 
diagnosis  of  the  previous  day,  and  he  called  attention 
to  the  fact  in  a  second  bulletin  : — 

"  It  appears  from  the  symptoms  of  chronic  hepatitis 
(the  first  appearance  of  which  he  experienced  sixteen 
months  ago)  that  this  is  the  principal  cause  of  the 
present  derangement  in  his  health,  and  although  they 
are  described  as  having  increased  considerably  of  late, 
yet,  judging  from  present  appearances,  I  do  not 
apprehend  any  immediate  danger,  although  it  must 
be  presumed  that  in  a  climate  where  the  above  disease 
is  so  prevalent,  it  will  eventually  shorten  his  life. 

"The  more  alarming  symptom  is  that  which  was 
experienced  on  the  night  of  the  16th,  a  recurrence  of 
which  may  soon  prove  fatal,  particularly  if  medical 
assistance  is  not  at  hand." 

Stokoe  signed  his  own  warrant  by  these  emphatic 
statements. 

He  was  bold  enough  to  declare,  in  opposition  to  the 

opinion  expressed  by  the  Governor  and  the  English 

Ministry,  that  Saint  Helena  was  an  unhealthy  island, 

where  Napoleon's  life  would  doubtless  be  shortened. 
16 


242  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Such  excessive  frankness  could  not  be  tolerated  ;  so 
tactless  a  doctor  must  quickly  be  silenced  and 
punished. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  when  the 
surgeon  of  the  Conqueror  called  at  The  Briars  and 
reported  his  visit  to  Sir  Robert  Plampin,  he  found 
the  Admiral  severe,  malevolent,  and  hostile.  He  was 
subjected  to  an  insulting  inquiry  into  his  conversations 
with  the  Frenchmen.  After  which  he  was  informed 
that,  in  the  future,  he  must  procure  a  pass  before 
going  to  Longwood  in  answer  to  their  appeals.  To 
subject  him  to  this  formality  was  equivalent  to  regard- 
ing him  as  a  suspicious  character.  It  was,  in  fact, 
treating  him  as  though  he  were  a  stranger  who  had 
craved  permission  to  attend  Napoleon,  and  obtained 
the  privilege  as  a  signal  favour.  So  far  from  this 
being  the  case,  Stokoe  was  acting  in  compliance  with 
orders  :  he  was  placed,  and  even  kept,  at  the  disposal 
of  the  sick  Emperor. 

So  much  so,  that  during  the  evening  of  this 
very  day,  Captain  Nicholls  wrote  to  Count  de 
Montholon — 

"  I  am  desired  by  the  Governor  to  acquaint  you 
that,  having  conferred  with  Rear-Admiral  Plampin  in 
respect  to  the  continuance  of  Mr.  Stokoe's  medical 
attendance  at  Longwood,  the  Admiral  has  acquainted 
him  that  he  cannot  dispense  with  Mr.  Stokoe's  service 
in  the  squadron  so  far  as  to  admit  of  his  being  entirely 
removed  from  it.  .  .  .  The  Governor  himself  will 
have  no  objection  to  Mr.  Stokoe  affording  his  medical 


DR.    JOHN    STOKOE. 
After  the  Portrait  in  "  Napoléon  Prisonnier. 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  243 

assistance  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte  whenever  so  re- 
quired, but  he  is  desirous  in  each  case  that  Mr. 
Stokoe's  visits  should  be  made  in  conjunction  with 
the  physician  who  is  at  present  in  attendance  at 
Longwood." 

Hudson  Lowe,  on  mature  reflection,  thought  it 
inadvisable  formally  to  forbid  Stokoe  to  call  on  the 
Emperor.  He  preferred  to  discourage  him  by  in- 
direct and  underhand  means.  He  therefore  instructed 
Sir  Robert  Plampin  as  to  the  attitude  he  was  to 
adopt,  suggested  certain  obstacles  and  annoyances, 
and  insisted  upon  the  unacceptable  presence  of  Dr. 
Verling  at  Stokoe's  visits. 

Summoned  by  the  Frenchmen  for  the  third  time, 
in  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  the  19th  of  January,  the 
surgeon  of  the  Conqueror,  gathering  courage  from  his 
professional  duty,  which  he  wished  to  fulfil  as  long  as 
possible,  resigned  himself  to  the  humiliating  formality 
of  the  pass,  and  once  more  wended  his  way  to 
Longwood.  With  Captain  Nicholls,  he  first  saw 
Count  Bertrand,  whom  he  earnestly  entreated  to 
persuade  Napoleon  to  accede  to  the  Governor's 
stipulation  concerning  Dr.  Verling.  The  Count,  as 
was  only  to  be  expected,  replied  that  the  Emperor 
would  never  receive  this  physician,  and  preferred  to 
dispense  with  medical  attendance.  Yet  his  condition 
was  still  more  serious,  for  he  was  too  weak  to  stand, 
and  had  not  left  his  bed  for  twenty-four  hours. 

Captain  Nicholls  retired  at  this  juncture,  and 
Stokoe  considered  for  a  moment  whether  he  had  not 


244  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

better  follow  his  example.  He  was  well  aware  of  his 
chiefs'  hostile  intentions  and  clearly  perceived  the  aim 
they  had  in  view.  Hudson  Lowe  and  Sir  Robert 
Plampin  were  evidently  only  awaiting  some  osten- 
sible fault,  a  mere  pretext,  in  order  to  punish  him 
for  contravening  their  hidden  purposes.  But  besides 
the  fact  that  his  conscience  did  not  permit  him  to 
forsake  his  illustrious  patient  at  a  critical  moment,  it 
also  appeared  to  him  as  dangerous  to  refuse  to  see 
Napoleon  as  to  consent  to  do  so.  Supposing,  for 
instance,  that,  shortly  after  his  departure  from 
Longwood,  complications  arose,  the  Governor  would 
certainly  hold  him  responsible  :  "I  only  expressed  a 
wish  that  Dr.  Verling  should  accompany  you,"  he 
would  say.  "A  wish  is  no  command.  You  should 
have  paid  your  visit  all  the  same." 

The  doctor,  therefore,  proceeded  to  the  Emperor's 
room.  Marshal  Bertrand  had  not  been  guilty  of 
exaggeration.  Napoleon  was  even  more  seriously 
ill,  and  seemed  in  a  weaker  condition  than  on  the 
previous  days.  His  pulse  marked  an  extraordinarily 
rapid  increase  of  fever.  Stokoe  feared  that  the 
character  of  the  supposed  hepatitis  was  changing 
from  a  chronic  to  an  acute  form.  Apprehending 
also,  from  the  violent  rushing  of  the  blood  to  the 
head,  a  return  of  Sunday's  attack,  he  decided  to 
spend  the  night  at  Longwood,  and  acquainted  Captain 
Nicholls  with  his  intention. 

To  stave  off  the  impending  crisis,  he  begged 
Napoleon    to    allow    himself   to    be    bled.     But    the 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  245 

Emperor  was  a  bad  patient.  In  vain  Stokoe  pointed 
out  that  apoplexy  menaced  him,  and  might  super- 
vene at  any  moment.  He  received  the  warning  with 
the  complete  indifference  of  a  fatalist.  At  length — 
towards  five  o'clock  in  the  morning — the  pains  in  his 
head  having  become  unbearable,  he  consented,  and 
obtained  some  relief  from  the  operation. 

The  surgeon,  being  only  half-reassured,  would 
gladly  have  spent  the  whole  of  Wednesday,  the  20th 
of  January,  at  Longwood,  but  at  midday  the  order 
reached  him  to  return  to  Jamestown.  He  obeyed 
at  once,  and,  calling  at  The  Briars  on  his  way,  handed 
to  Sir  Robert  Plampin  a  report  relating  to  the  events 
of  the  night,  of  which  the  following  were  the  con- 
cluding words  :  "I  took  this  opportunity  of  more 
particularly  examining  the  liver,  and  am  fully  per- 
suaded of  the  diseased  state  of  that  viscus,  having 
distinctly  felt  a  degree  of  hardness.  ...  I  therefore 
advised  the  immediate  adoption  of  a  course  of  mercury, 
with  other  medicines  in  such  form  as  best  suited  the 
constitution  of  the  patient." 

The  Admiral  did  not  in  any  way  reproach  Stokoe 
for  having  visited  Napoleon  without  being  accom- 
panied by  Dr.  Verling,  but  left  it  to  the  Governor 
to  appreciate  the  fact.  However,  he  picked  a  quarrel 
with  his  subordinate  about  another  matter.  As  on  a 
previous  occasion,  he  questioned  him  about  the  few 
commonplace  words  exchanged  in  conversation 
between  him  and  the  Frenchmen.  He  found  fault 
with  them,  and,  at  last,  in  a  furious  rage,  treated  the 


246  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

surgeon  of  the  Conqueror  so  shamefully,  that  the 
latter,  completely  discouraged,  wrote  the  following 
petition  on  regaining  his  vessel  :  "  The  experience 
of  to-day  points  to  the  necessity  of  my  declining  all 
further  communication  with  Longwood.  I  therefore 
humbly  beg  leave  that,  in  case  my  services  are  again 
demanded  in  aid  of  General  Bonaparte,  you  will  be 
pleased  to  cause  Count  Bertrand  to  be  acquainted 
with  my  wishes  on  this  head." 

Stokoe  had  only  just  finished  writing  these  lines, 
and  had  not  yet  forwarded  them,  when  the  Frenchmen 
asfain  summoned  him.  Returning  to  The  Briars  in 
the  evening,  he  himself  delivered  the  letter  to  Sir 
Robert  Plampin,  whom  he  found  at  dinner  with  his 
mistress.  The  Admiral  refused  to  read  it,  nor  would 
he  listen  to  the  doctor.  In  a  tone  which  brooked  no 
reply,  he  told  him  to  obey  the  summons,  and,  if 
necessary,  to  spend  the  night  at  Longwood,  but  to 
return  the  next  day  without  fail  by  half-past  ten  at  the 
latest. 

Since  no  particular  duty  on  board  the  Conqueror, 
to  which  an  assistant  -  surgeon  was  attached, 
demanded  Stokoe's  presence  there  on  the  Thursday, 
these  precise  instructions  evidently  originated  in  a 
secret  desire  that  he  might  be  detained  at  Longwood 
by  some  chance  circumstance,  and  also  in  the 
Admiral's  preconceived  intention  to  consider  any 
involuntary  delay  as  an  act  of  disobedience.  The 
plan  was  successful.  A  consultation,  prolonged 
somewhat  at  the  Emperor's  request,  and  then  a  fall 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  247 

from  his  horse  on  the  steep  road  leading  to  The 
Briars,  prevented  the  doctor  from  reaching  the  house 
of  his  chief  at  the  appointed  hour.  It  was  midday  of 
the  2 1  st  of  January  when  he  handed  the  following 
report  to  Sir  Robert  Plampin  : — 

"  I  saw  General  Bonaparte  yesterday,  and  his 
fever  was  slight,  but  he  complained  more  of  pain  in 
the  side.  This  morning  the  pain  in  the  side  continued 
nearly  the  same. 

"  I  recommended  a  warm  bath,  which  he  took 
immediately,  and  in  which  he  remained  at  my 
departure. 

"  I  urged  the  necessity  of  his  immediately  com- 
mencing a  course  of  medicines,  saying  that  I  had 
already  prepared  some,  and  would  send  others  from 
town,  with  instructions,  as  I  could  not  continue  my 
visits  to  Longwood  under  the  unpleasant  circum- 
stances I  was  exposed  to,  and  that  I  had  already 
requested  you  to  make  known  my  wishes  on  the 
head  to  Count  Bertrand.  He  replied  that  he  would 
take  no  medicine  that  he  did  not  receive  from  the 
hands  of  his  own  surgeon. 

"  I  beg  that  you  will  take  into  consideration  that 
in  this  business,  my  reputation  and  honour  being 
equally  implicated,  I  cannot  take  upon  myself  the 
charge  of  a  patient  of  such  consequence  and  so 
seriously  ill  in  the  disagreeable  situation  in  which 
I  am  placed,  not  at  liberty  to  give  my  assistance 
at  every  moment.  Hereafter,  in  the  event  of  any 
sudden  catastrophe  which  may  occur,  I   beg  that  my 


248  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

name  may  not  be  mentioned  unless  I  am  placed  in 
the  situation  of  Mr.  O'Meara,  in  accordance  with 
the  articles  offered  for  your  consideration  the  other 
day.  If  not,  I  desire  to  remain  as  surgeon  of  the 
Conqueror,  and  to  be  relieved  from  that  responsibility 
which  now  weighs  upon  my  name,  and  of  which  I 
foresee  the  alarming  consequences." 

Stokoe  never  returned  to  Long  wood.  His  chiefs 
had  brought  their  tactics  to  a  successful  issue  and 
thus  gained  their  end.  He  expressed  himself,  in  the 
above  letter,  weary  of  an  ill-defined  situation,  the 
state  of  mind  to  which  Sir  Robert  Plampin  had 
desired  to  reduce  him.  Circumstances  placed  him 
ostensibly  in  the  wrong,  and  a  certain  number  of 
accusations  could  be  plausibly  formulated  against 
him.  This  was  precisely  what  Hudson  Lowe  had 
been  waiting  for. 

After  the  trials  which  have  just  been  set  forth, 
Stokoe's  five  visits  to  the  Emperor  were  to  deprive 
him  of  his  rank,  his  position,  the  advantages  of 
twenty-five  years'  service  in  the  Royal  Navy. 

He  was  presently  informed  that  the  Admiral  and 
the  Governor  intended  trying  him  by  court-martial 
for  breach  of  discipline  and  disobedience.  Anywhere 
else  but  at  Saint  Helena,  so  unfounded  an  accusation 
would  have  made  him  laugh,  or  at  least  would  have 
left  him  unperturbed.  But  he  knew  the  kind  of 
men  and  the  state  of  things  on  the  island,  and  grew 
anxious.  Arguing  that  the  principal  desire  of  his 
persecutors  was  doubtless  to  rid    themselves    of  his 


THE   ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  249 

presence,  to  remove  him  from  Saint  Helena,  so  as 
to  render  it  impossible  for  Napoleon  again  to 
demand  his  medical  attendance,  and  complain  of 
being  deprived  thereof,  he  resolved  to  apply  for 
leave  of  sufficient  duration  to  last  until  the  moment, 
eight  or  nine  months  distant,  at  which  he  would  be 
entitled  to  claim  a  pension.  He  had  suffered  recently 
from  the  climate,  and,  by  the  fall  from  his  horse, 
had  lost  temporarily  the  use  of  one  arm.  On  these 
grounds  he  asked  permission  to  return  to  Europe, 
which  was  granted  immediately.  On  the  30th  of 
January,  18 19,  he  resigned  his  functions  on  board 
the  Conqueror,  bade  farewell  to  the  roadstead  of 
Jamestown,  and  left  for  Portsmouth. 

He  thought  his  sufferings  were  at  an  end,  but  was 
mistaken. 

By  the  same  vessel  on  which  he  was  sailing, 
Hudson  Lowe  forwarded  a  report,  addressed  to  the 
Lords  of  the  Admiralty.  Hardly  had  Stokoe 
landed  in  England,  when  he  received  instructions  to 
return  to  Saint  Helena.  On  the  21st  of  August, 
after  two  fatiguing  passages,  lasting  in  all  188  days, 
he  beheld  once  more  the  detestable  shore  of  the 
island.  So  entirely  ignorant  was  he,  so  free  from 
any  suspicion  as  to  the  motives  for  his  recall,  that  he 
felt  convinced  his  return  was  a  sign  of  the  approval 
his  conduct  had  met  with  in  London.  He  regained 
the  Conqueror,  was  there  and  then  placed  under 
arrest,  and  brought  up  for  trial  on  the  30th.  A  mock 
court-martial,    devoted    to   the    interests    of    Hudson 


2  5o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Lowe  and   Plampin,   sentenced  him  to  be  dismissed 
from  the  Navy. 

Among  other  crimes,  he  was  found  guilty  of 
having  disobeyed  the  Admiral  by  delaying  to 
report  himself  at  The  Briars  after  one  of  his 
visits,  and  ...  of  having,  in  conversation  with  the 
Frenchmen,  discussed  topics  entirely  unconnected 
with  medicine  ! 

Two  of  the  charges  brought  against  poor  Stokoe 
deserve  to  be  quoted  verbatim.  Forsyth,  who  relates 
his  history  at  some  length,  omits  them,  although  he 
declares  himself,  at  the  beginning  of  his  book,  too 
impartial  and  too  honest  to  conceal  any  matter  relating 
to  Saint  Helena. 

In  his  second  bulletin,  the  surgeon  of  the  Con- 
queror had  inserted  this  paragraph:  "  The  more 
alarming  symptom  is  that  which  was  experienced  in 
the  night  of  the  1 6th  instant,  a  recurrence  of  which 
may  soon  prove  fatal,  particularly  if  medical  attend- 
ance is  not  at  hand''  intending  thereby,  contrary  to  the 
character  and  duty  of  a  British  officer,  to  create  a  false 
impression  or  belief  that  General  Bonaparte  was  in 
imminent  or  considerable  danger,  and  that  no  medical 
assistance  was  at  hand,  he,  the  said  Mr.  John  Stokoe, 
not  having  witnessed  any  such  symptom,  and  knoiving 
that  the  state  of  the  patient  was  so  little  urgent  that 
he  was  four  hours  at  Longwood before  he  was  admitted 
to  see  him,  and  further,  knowing  that  Dr.  Ver  ling 
was  at  hand,  ready  to  attend  if  required  in  any  such 
emergency ',  or  considerable  danger. 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  251 

He  had,  knowingly  and  willingly  designated 
General  Bonaparte  in  the  said  bulletin  in  a  manner 
different  from  that  in  which  he  was  designated  in  the 
Act  of  Parliament  for  the  better  custody  of  his  person, 
and  contrary  to  the  practice  of  His  Majesty  s  Govern- 
ment, of  the  Lieutenant-General,  Governor  of  the 
Island,  and  of  the  said  Rear-Admiral,  and  he  had 
done  so  at  the  especial  instance  and  request  of  the  said 
General  Bonaparte  or  his  attendants,  though  he,  Mr. 
John  Stokoe,  well  knew  that  the  mode  of  designation 
was  a  point  in  dispute  between  the  said  General 
Bonaparte  and  Lieutenant-General  Sir  Hudson  Lowe 
and  the  British  Government,  and  that  by  acceding  to 
the  wish  of  the  said  General  Bonaparte,  he,  the  said 
Mr.  John  Stokoe,  was  acting  in  opposition  to  the  wish 
and  practice  of  his  own  superior  officers,  and  to  the 
respect  which  he  owed  them,  under  the  general  printed 
instructions. 

What  name  had  Stokoe  so  rashly  employed  with 
reference  to  General  Bonaparte  ?  The  Emperor, 
no  doubt?  Not  at  all.  The  ex-Emperor,  the  ex- 
Sovereign  ?  Never.  He,  a  doctor,  had  called  him 
.  .  .  the  patient  ...   in  a  medical  report  ! 

That  is  the  supreme,  the  unique  reason  for  his 
condemnation  :  no  one  on  the  island  of  exile  had  the 
right  to  say  that  the  health  of  the  prisoner  of  Long- 
wood  left  anything  to  be  desired.  Napoleon's  lot 
already  aroused  only  too  great  interest  in  Europe. 
When  he  was  afflicted  with  an  illness,  Theodore 
Hook's  example  should  be  followed,  and  the  illness 


252  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

regarded  lightly,  as  an  amusing  subject  for  a  jest,  as 
a  political  device. 

His  hepatitis,  his  complaints  about  the  climate, 
were  merely  pretences  destined  to  move  the  world  to 
pity,  to  obtain  the  relaxation  of  just  measures  of 
severity  and  a  change  of  residence.  Hudson  Lowe 
and  the  English  Ministry  certified  that  General 
Bonaparte  lived  in  the  most  healthy  land  on  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  and  one  altogether  free  from 
endemical  diseases. 

It  is  well  known  at  the  present  day  that  Napoleon 
was  mistaken  as  to  the  nature  of  his  malady,  and 
suffered  from  a  cancer  to  which  very  likely  he  would 
have  been  a  victim  and  finally  have  succumbed  in  any 
other  spot.  But  that  does  not  in  the  least  excuse  the 
signal  dishonesty  of  his  gaolers.  I  n  spite  of  their  denials, 
hepatitis  —  as  quotations  have  shown  —  appeared  to 
be  of  common  occurrence  at  Saint  Helena.  The 
Emperor,  who  had  but  too  many  reasons  for  doubting 
the  much-vaunted  salubrity,  could  well  believe  himself 
attacked  by  it.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  Captivity 
his  house,  and  indeed  the  entire  island,  resembled 
a  hospital. 

Madame  de  Montholon  and  several  of  his  attend- 
ants in  succession  fell  ill  from  liver  complaint.  Gour- 
gaud,  Countess  Bertrand,  nearly  all  the  children  and 
nearly  all  the  servants  at  Longwood  had  dysentery. 
Cipriani  died  of  inflammation  of  the  bowels. 

Napoleon  witnessed  this  spectacle  in  his  own 
abode,  and  on   making   inquiries  as   to  the  sanitary 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  253 

situation  outside,    he   learned   news  of  the   following 
description  : — 

In  the  Jamestown  roads,  during  the  years  181 7 
and  1 8 18,  the  ship,  the  Conqueror,  lost  a  sixth  [of  her 
crew  :  100  out  of  600  men.  Other  vessels,  of  smaller 
tonnage  and  effective  force,  attached  to  the  naval 
station,  suffered  proportionally  as  much,  if  not  more, 
at  different  periods.  Diseases  carried  off  from  the 
Racoon  16  of  her  100  sailors,  11  out  of  65 
from  the  Leveret,  15  out  of  85  from  the  Griffon,  and 
24  out  of  100  from  the  Mosquito. 

In  a  passage  of  his  book,  Henry  calls  attention, 
by  way  of  compensation,  to  the  fact  that,  in  the  space 
of  a  year,  not  a  single  death  took  place  among  the 
soldiers  cantoned  with  him  at  Deadwood.  But  why 
does  he  speak  of  one  year  only  ?  A  few  lines  back, 
he  has  just  admitted,  at  least,  that  in  March  and 
April,  1 8 18,  when  the  season  was  particularly  rainy, 
intestinal  complaints  were  extremely  numerous  in  the 
camp.  Granted  that  his  battalion  had  not  any  deceases 
to  lament  at  Saint  Helena,  the  2nd  battalion  lost  56 
men  there  in  twelve  months,  during  the  years  1816 
and  18 1 7.  Moreover,  the  assistant-surgeon  prudently 
refrains  from  mentioning  the  53rd  and  the  20th 
Regiments,  which  suffered  greatly  from  their  residence 
on  the  island. 

According  to  Dr.  Arnott,  the  surgeon  of  the  20th, 
dysentery  among  the  troops  was  the  result  of  in- 
sufficient precautions  against  the  atmospheric  changes, 
of  alcoholic  excesses,  and  the  fatigues  of  an  extremely 


254  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

arduous  service.  Not  only  is  this  possible,  but  it 
may  also  be  admitted  that  hepatitis  was  not  endemical 
at  Saint  Helena,  and  was  as  a  rule  brought  there  from 
India  or  elsewhere.  At  the  present  day,  in  spite  of 
its  too  sudden  alternations  of  heat  and  cold,  and 
although  constantly  damp,  disagreeable,  and  enervating 
in  some  of  its  elevated  regions,  such  as  Longwood, 
the  tropical  island  on  which,  from  1815  to  1821,  so 
many  illnesses  broke  out  and  so  many  deaths  were 
registered,  does  not  appear  at  all  fatal  to  strangers, 
and  mortality  hardly  seems  greater  there  than  in 
Europe.  But  when  it  comes  to  deciding  who  was 
right  with  regard  to  the  climate  of  Saint  Helena, 
Napoleon  or  his  gaolers,  the  question  is  not  whether 
Saint  Helena  is  healthy  at  the  present  day,  but 
whether  it  appeared  to  be  so  at  the  period  of  the 
Captivity.  The  reports  of  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu, 
Baron  Sturmer,  and  Count  Balmain,  the  letters  in 
the  London  newspapers,  and  the  above  details  and 
statistics  give  the  answer.  Hudson  Lowe  and  the 
British  Government,  it  may  safely  be  asserted, 
could  not  possibly  believe  in  the  salubrity  of  the 
place  where  they  had  it  proclaimed  by  court-martial 
that  the  Emperor  was  feigning  to  be  ill.  They 
manifestly  had  no  greater  faith  in  this  salubrity  than 
Napoleon  himself. 

So  seriously  ill  indeed  was  the  Emperor  that,  a 
few  days  before  the  scandalous  condemnation  of 
Stokoe,  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  make  provision 
against   his    death.      Let    it    not   be   maintained   that 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  255 

Napoleon  was  still  playing  a  part.  For  neither  the 
Governor  nor  the  English  officials  ever  learned  the 
fact  ;  it  was  only  known  at  Longwood,  and  revealed 
long  after  the  Captivity. 

Accordingly,  in  the  middle  of  August,  18 19,  the 
Emperor  drew  up  a  will,  which  he  entrusted  to  Count 
Bertrand,  and  whereby  he  left  his  arms,  silver,  china, 
and  best  books  to  his  son.  He  bequeathed  a  sum 
of  ,£12,000,  the  money  he  possessed  at  Saint  Helena, 
to  his  companions  and  servants,  and  of  this  sum  he 
assigned  .£4800  to  the  Grand  Marshal  ;  ,£2000  to 
Count  de  Montholon  and  Marchand  ;  ^"800  to  Saint- 
Denis,  Noverraz,  and  Pierron  ;  ^"400  to  Archambault 
and  Gentilini.  Mesdames  Bertrand  and  de  Montholon 
were  to  divide  his  diamonds  between  them.  He 
settled,  with  equal  care  and  attention  to  detail,  the 
appropriation  of  the  remainder  of  his  fortune,  amount- 
ing to  about  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  pounds, 
deposited  with  the  banker  Laffitte,  in  Paris.  He 
further  gave  instructions  that  his  memoirs  were  not 
to  be  published  until  they  had  been  verified  by  means 
of  all  the  documents  which  he  lacked. 

At  the  moment  when,  in  anticipation  of  his  end, 
Napoleon  was  thus  expressing  his  last  wishes,  Hudson 
Lowe  added  a  serious  mental  annoyance  to  his 
physical  sufferings  by  a  fresh  vexation.  For  a  long 
time  the  Governor  had  been  irritated  at  his  inability 
to  obtain  anything  but  meagre  reports  about  what 
was  passing  at  Longwood.  After  his  failure  to  induce 
the    Emperor    to    accept    the    medical   attendance   of 


256  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Dr.  Verling,  by  whom  he  would  have  been  kept 
better  informed,  he  strove  to  compel  Napoleon  to 
receive  Captain  Nicholls.  He  had  just  ordered  that 
officer  to  enter  General  Bonaparte's  apartments,  if 
necessary  by  force,  and  to  satisfy  himself  daily  of  his 
presence  there.  To  this  the  General,  in  spite  of  the 
poor  state  of  his  health,  replied  by  the  following 
energetic  statement  : — 

"On  the  nth,  12th,  13th,  14th,  and  16th  of 
August,  1 8 19,  attempts  have  been  made  for  the  first 
time  to  break  into  the  apartments  inhabited  by  the 
Emperor  Napoleon,  which  had  hitherto  been  re- 
spected. He  has  resisted  these  acts  of  violence  by 
closing  his  doors  and  locking  them,  and  thinks  fit  to 
repeat  a  protest  already  made  on  several  occasions, 
that  no  intruder  will  cross  his  threshold  without  first 
passing  over  his  body.  In  order  to  shield  himself 
from  insults,  he  has  been  living  for  the  last  three 
years  in  the  confinement  of  six  little  rooms.  If  the 
authorities  of  the  island  are  mean  enough  to  grudge 
him  this  retreat,  it  can  only  be  they  have  resolved  to 
leave  him  no  other  than  a  tomb.  For  two  years  he 
has  been  afflicted  with  chronic  hepatitis,  an  endemic 
disease  in  this  country,  and  owing  to  the  removal  of 
Dr.  O'Meara  in  July,  1818,  and  of  Dr.  Stokoe 
in  January,  18 19,  he  has  been  deprived  of  medical 
attendance  for  a  whole  year.  He  has  had  several 
attacks  which  have  obliged  him  to  remain  in  bed  for 
periods  of  fifteen  to  twenty  days  at  a  time.  And 
now,  while  in  the  midst  of  particularly  violent  suffer- 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  257 

ings,  and  laid  up  for  the  last  nine  days  with  no  defence 
against  illness  but  patience,  regimen,  and  baths,  he  is 
worried  by  the  threat  of  having  his  privacy  violated  : 
an  outrage  to  which  the  Prince  Regent,  Lord  Liver- 
pool, and  the  whole  world  are  well  aware  he  will  never 
submit.  ..." 

Napoleon — several  narratives  leave  no  doubt  on 
the  subject — would,  at  all  costs,  as  he  declared,  have 
defended  his  poor  interior,  his  last  miserable  refuo-e. 
Hudson  Lowe  realised  this,  and,  reluctant  to  face  the 
possible  consequences  of  a  decisive  action,  relinquished 
his  claim  to  thrust  upon  the  Emperor  the  daily  visit 
of  Captain  Nicholls,  although  at  the  same  moment 
he  was  also  obliged  to  abandon  definitely  all  hope  of 
placing  Dr.  Verling  at  Longwood. 

For,  on  the  20th  of  September,  18 19,  the  French 
physician  whom  Napoleon,  deprived  of  O'Meara  and 
Stokoe,  and  seeing  the  difficulty  of  retainino-  an 
English  surgeon,  had  demanded  some  time  back  from 
the  British  Government,  and  his  family,  arrived  at 
Saint  Helena. 

This  physician,  for  whose  selection  Cardinal 
Fesch  was  responsible — unfortunately,  and  at  best, 
a  mediocre  choice — was  Doctor  Antommarchi,  a  youno- 
man  of  thirty  who  lacked  professional  experience,  and 
proved  presumptuous,  careless,  and  frivolous. 

The  Emperor  had  also  requested  his  uncle  to  find 

him  a  learned  and  broad-minded  priest  with  whom 

he  might  discuss  religious  questions.     The  Cardinal 

had   again    displayed    his    want    of    discernment   or 

17 


258  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

solicitude,  and,  doubtless  considering  that  quantity 
could  make  up  for  quality,  sent  a  gouty,  deaf  old 
man  whose  tongue  was  almost  paralysed  :  the  Abbé 
Buonavita,  and  a  young  mountaineer,  like  Antom- 
marchi  a  Corsican,  a  raw  recruit  from  the  seminary, 
almost  illiterate  and  deficient  in  manners  and  con- 
versation :  the  Abbé  Vignali. 

Two  new  servants,  who  had  come  with  the  priests 
and  the  doctor,  were  alone  to  give  Napoleon  entire 
satisfaction. 

One  of  them,  Coursot  by  name,  became  butler  in 
place  of  Pierron,  now  promoted  maître  d'hôtel,  a  post 
that  had  remained  vacant  since  the  death  of  Cipriani. 

The  other,  called  Chandelier, became  the  Emperor's 
last  cook.  It  is  chiefly  thanks  to  the  information  he 
gave  Carême  on  his  return  to  France,  and  which  the 
latter  has  published,  that  the  culinary  tastes  and  diet 
of  Napoleon  during  the  Captivity  are  known.  These 
tastes  and  diet  possibly  influenced  to  some  extent 
the  progress  of  the  Emperor's  disease,  only  briefly 
described  here,  and  should  be  taken  into  account  by 
doctors  wishing  to  study  it  at  greater  length  and  treat 
it  scientifically. 

Napoleon  had  soup  served  at  each  of  his  principal 
meals  :  at  lunch  and  dinner.  He  was  in  the  habit 
of  taking  it  almost  boiling  ;  and  on  that  subject 
Madame  de  Montholon  mentions  in  her  Souvenirs: 
"He  said  that  prisoners,  who  bear  the  greatest 
privations,  always  break  down  at  the  ordeal  of  really 
cold    soup."     He   liked   especially   vegetable    soups, 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  259 

sorrel  soups,  and  soupe  à  la  reine,  a  kind  of  lait  de 
pottle,  an  extremely  sweet  mixture  of  milk  and  the 
yolks  of  eggs,  to  which  he  ascribed  refreshing  and 
laxative  properties. 

As  for  meat,  he  preferred  leg  of  mutton,  well  done, 
mutton  cutlets,  and  breast  of  mutton,  the  last  two 
fried  in  bread  crumbs  with  clear  gravy  ;  chicken  in 
every  possible  shape,  and  with  every  description 
of  sauce,  roast,  stewed,  or  fricasseed  :  à  la  provençale, 
without  garlic — he  could  not  endure  either  garlic  or 
onion — à  l'Italienne,  à  la  tart  are,  à  la  Marengo.  He 
also  had  a  weakness  for  pork-butcher's  meat,  for 
crépinettes  and  boudin  à  la  Richelieu. 

In  the  matter  of  vegetables,  he  appears  to  have 
shown  a  predilection  for  the  broad  beans  of  Soissons 
and  lentils  prepared  in  oil. 

The  gurnet  of  the  Mediterranean  constituted  one 
of  his  delicacies  in  Europe  ;  and  at  Saint  Helena  he 
would  often  regret  the  absence  of  this  fish  from  his 
table. 

He  had  also  a  great  liking  for  fried  dishes,  pies, 
and  pastry. 

The  arrival  of  Chandelier  caused  the  Emperor 
pleasure.  Since  the  departure  of  Lepage,  in  1818, 
his  household  had,  strictly  speaking,  been  in  want  of 
a  cook.  An  Englishman  called  Laroche,  a  worthy 
fellow  left  on  the  island  by  the  Amherst  embassy,  had 
filled  the  situation  for  a  short  time,  but  his  culinary 
science  was  limited,  and,  moreover,  the  gases  emanating 
from  the  cracked  range  rendered  him   ill  and   almost 


2  6o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

blind  ;  then,  in  default  of  a  professional  chef,  Pierron, 
the  butler,  succeeded  him.  Pierron  was  a  remarkable 
confectioner,  whose  architectural  constructions  in 
amber-coloured  sugar  remained  ever  fresh  in  Betsy 
Balcombe's  memory,  and  made  her  mouth  water  even 
after  a  lapse  of  twenty-five  years.  But,  in  spite  of 
his  zeal,  he  could  not  acquire  great  competence  and 
rise  to  the  proficiency  of  a  Vatel.  Chandelier,  a  past 
master  in  the  art  of  cooking,  lately  in  the  service  of 
Princess  Borghese,  arrived  most  opportunely  to  relieve 
this  locum  tenens.  Having  obtained  information 
about  Saint  Helena  from  Laroche  in  London,  he 
came  provided  with  various  utensils  that  were  wanting 
at  Longwood,  and  set  up  other  ranges  immediately  on 
entering  upon  his  functions.  Carême  relates  that  the 
Emperor  displayed  a  keen  interest  in  the  event,  visited 
the  kitchen  and  congratulated  the  new  chef:  "It  is 
very  fortunate  you  met  Laroche  before  coming  here," 
he  told  him.  "  Now  that  there  is  no  longer  that  hor- 
rible coal  smoke,  you  will  keep  your  eyesight,  have 
less  trouble,  and  be  able  to  make  me  little  pies  for 
lunch  more  often.  ..." 

Chandelier  gratified  Napoleon's  wishes  in  this 
respect,  and  also  indulged  his  taste  for  vol-au-vent, 
bouchées  à  la  reine,  timbales  de  macaroni,  étouffé  à  la 
génoise,  pilau  à  la  milanaise,  and  taillerains  à  la  Corse. 
Many  of  these  concoctions  were  doubtless  not  the 
most  suitable  to  a  man  who  ate  rapidly,  hardly 
masticated,  and  suffered  from  a  cancer  of  the  stomach. 
It  may  further  be  added  that,  generally  speaking,  the 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  261 

dishes  constituting  Napoleon's  diet  at  Saint  Helena 
proved  inferior,  as  regards  quality,  to  those  in  Europe. 

Butcher's  meat  left  much  to  be  desired  in  the 
island.  The  cows,  mostly  imported  from  Benguela, 
and  only  partially  recovered  on  poor  pasture  land 
from  the  hardships  of  a  long  passage,  usually  supplied 
tough  and  stringy  flesh.  Sheep,  of  the  fat-tailed 
species  wittily  described  by  Henry,  were  sent  over 
from  the  Cape,  whence  they  arrived  in  an  emaciated 
condition,  and  on  filling  out  again  turned  to  tallow. 
By  way  of  sole  compensation,  excellent  pork  could  be 
obtained  from  pigs  of  native  breeding. 

Fowls  remained  mediocre,  in  spite  of  all  the  care 
devoted  to  them,  and  the  experiment  made  at  Long- 
wood  of  a  poultry-yard  merely  resulted  in  the  rearing 
of  lean  chickens,  lean  turkeys,  and  lean  geese. 

Although  the  coast  of  Saint  Helena  abounds  in 
fish,  little  else  but  mackerel  was  caught  there.  Now 
and  then  there  appeared  at  the  Emperor's  table  a 
kind  of  gilt-head,  rather  good,  and  known  by  the 
quaint  name  of  old-wife  ;  a  sort  of  smelt  ;  a  variety 
of  dolphin,  not  unlike  salmon  in  flavour  ;  and  stump, 
a  large  crustacean  somewhat  similar  in  taste  to 
lobster. 

Fresh  vegetables,  cabbages,  cauliflowers,  salads, 
new  peas  and  beans  were  rare.  Dry  vegetables 
sometimes  dated  from  two  or  three  years  back,  and 
only  mediocre  potatoes  were  to  be  had. 

The  island  yielded  neither  pears,  nor  apples,  nor 
cherries,  nor  strawberries.      Orange-trees    flourished 


262  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

splendidly,  but,  except  in  two  or  three  favoured 
places  like  Plantation,  their  oranges  did  not  ripen 
well.  Lemons  were  a  little  more  successful  ;  vines 
bore  large,  yet  indifferent,  grapes  ;  apricot-trees  hard 
apricots,  peach-trees  wretched  little  yellow  peaches. 
On  the  whole,  figs,  mangoes,  and  bananas  were  the 
only  passable  fruits.  Chandelier  steeped  the  bananas 
in  rum  and  made  fritters  with  them. 

It  was  hard  to  procure  good  bread  at  Longwood. 
In  various  pages  of  Gourgaud's  journal,  the  Emperor 
is  seen  to  complain  on  this  score  ;  one  day  he  declares 
that    soldiers'    biscuit    would    be    better,    and    gives 
orders  to  buy  some.     The  fact  is,  the  flour  used  at 
Saint    Helena    either    came    from   Europe,   in   which 
case  it  was  overheated  by  a  stay  of  at    least    three 
months  on  board  ship  and  the  crossing  of  the  line, 
or   else   from  the  Cape  of   Good  Hope,  fairly  near, 
but   where   mills   of   soft    stone  were    used    to   grind 
the    wheat,    and    mingled    grains    of    sand    with    the 
meslin  ;  so  that  the  pastry  served  at  the  Emperor's 
table  often  tasted  of  grit,  and  set  the  teeth  on  edge. 
It  also  frequently  smelt  rancid,  for  Chandelier   had 
hardly    any    other    than    salt    butter,    which    he    was 
obliged  to  wash  with  extreme  care  and  then  squeeze 
until   the    water   ran    off.       Like   the    macaroni   and 
parmesan,  the  dry  vegetables  and   the    greater    part 
of  the  preserves,  this  butter  remained  so  long  in  the 
storehouses    of    the     East     India    Company,    which 
supplied  it,  that  it  grew  stale. 

A   moderate   drinker — half   a  bottle   of  claret  at 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  263 

each  of  his  meals  sufficed  him — Napoleon  was  also 
no  great  eater.  The  indifferent  cooking  that  the 
poor  resources  and  the  bad  provisions  of  the  island 
alone  permitted,  often  disgusted  him  now  that  he 
suffered  from  his  stomach,  and  had  grown  nice 
about  his  food.  Notwithstanding  the  zealous  efforts 
and  the  genuine  culinary  talents  of  Chandelier,  he 
would  take  a  violent  dislike  now  to  one  dish,  now 
to  another,  and  many  a  time  abstained  either  from 
lunching  or  from  dining. 

In  spite  of  this  ever-increasing  lack  of  appetite, 
a  sudden  and  most  unexpected  change  for  the  better 
occurred  in  the  Emperor's  health  at  the  period 
reached  by  this  narrative. 

Even  the  most  inexorable  diseases  have  often, 
in  the  course  of  their  progress,  a  brief  moment  of 
respite.  So  also  for  the  mental  suffering  caused  by 
despair  ;  however  eager  to  die,  few  men  quit  this 
world  without  finding  at  some  time  a  renewed  sweet- 
ness in  life.  For  about  a  year — from  November, 
1 8 19,  to  November,  1820 — Napoleon  both  physically 
and  morally  seemed  to  enter  upon  a  fresh  phase  of 
existence. 

Various  circumstances  contributed  to  this  sem- 
blance of  a  regeneration,  to  this  transitory  revival 
of  vital  energy,  the  last  pale  flickering  of  the  great 
human  flame  which  was  about  to  die  out. 

The  arrival  of  Dr.  Antommarchi,  the  Abbés 
Buonavita  and  Vignali,  of  Coursot,  of  Chandelier, 
and,  previously,   that  of   Etienne  Bouges,  a  servant 


264  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

who  replaced  Bernard  in  the  service  of  Count 
Bertrand,  had  just  made  good  part  of  the  losses 
sustained  by  the  little  French  colony  at  Saint 
Helena.  Longwood  was  repeopled,  and  became  more 
animated.  These  six  new  members  of  Napoleon's 
household  had  brought,  as  it  were,  something  of 
the  vivifying  air  of  Europe  to  the  dull  atmosphere 
of  the  island,  and  restored  the  contact  between  the 
Emperor  and  the  world  from  which  he  was  cut 
off,  by  informing  him  of  recent  political  events,  by 
answering  his  questions  about  France,  his  family, 
and  his  son. 

About  the  same  time,  the  relations  between 
Longwood  and  Plantation  became  less  strained. 
Hudson  Lowe  appeared  to  become  aware  of  the 
odium  of  his  vexations,  and  Napoleon,  for  his  part, 
grew  tired  of  making  complaints,  too  frequently  vain. 
The  daily  dispute,  the  snappish  and  fruitless  corre- 
spondence which  fills  so  many  pages  of  the  history 
of  Saint  Helena,  and  renders  it  in  the  end  so 
monotonous  and  wearisome,  ceased  almost  entirely. 
A  tacit  peace  was  established. 

Lastly,  Dr.  Antommarchi,  in  spite  of  his  incom- 
petency, succeeded  at  first  in  giving  the  impression 
of  being  a  good  doctor.  He  prescribed  a  few  anodyne 
remedies  that  were  apparently  efficacious,  and,  since 
the  Emperor  was  deprived  of  walks  by  his  deter- 
mination to  keep  within  the  narrow  limits  of  the 
four-miles'  enclosure,  he  recommended  him  to  take 
to  gardening  for  want  of  other  exercise.     The  idea 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  265 

chiefly  pleased  Napoleon  as  a  means  of  somewhat 
embellishing  the  dreary  precincts  of  his  house.  He 
obtained  the  necessary  tools  and  mobilised  his  entire 
household,  his  Chinamen,  his  English  ostlers,  his 
French  servants,  the  doctor  and  the  priests,  Count 
de  Montholon  and  Marshal  Bertrand.  For  the 
space  of  seven  months,  from  November,  18 19,  to 
May,  1820,  the  whole  population  of  Longwood  was 
occupied  in  turning  over  a  sterile  soil,  busily  digging, 
sowing-,  and  raking-.  Earth  walls  were  erected  for 
protection  from  the  pernicious  blast  of  the  trade- 
wind,  and  reservoirs  hollowed  out  to  collect  rain- 
water. Rose-bushes,  peach-trees,  and  orange-trees 
in  blossom  were  arranged  in  groups.  The  Emperor 
bought  twenty-four  big  trees,  traced  an  avenue  of 
willows,  and  had  an  oak  transplanted  to  a  spot 
before  his  windows. 

Every  day  at  sunrise,  when  fine,  he  gave  the 
signal  for  work  to  begin  by  ringing  a  large  bell, 
and  supervised  his  labourers,  stick  in  hand,  attired 
in  his  white  dressing-gown  and  wearing  a  wide- 
brimmed  straw  hat.  He  would  often  call  for  a 
spade,  or  take  up  a  rake  or  a  watering-can. 
Lutyens,  the  orderly  officer  who  had  just  succeeded 
Captain  Nicholls  at  Longwood,  was  surprised  one 
morning  to  see  General  Bonaparte  handing  sods 
of  turf  to  Count  de  Montholon,  who  fixed  them  to 
a  bank  with  the  aid  of  a  mallet. 

Benefited  both  mentally  and  physically  by  these 
distractions  and  this  exercise,  Napoleon  resumed  his 


266  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

afternoon  readings  and  dictations.  He  took  a  fresh 
interest  in  details  which  for  a  long  time  had  left 
him  indifferent.  For  instance,  he  demanded  im- 
provements in  his  apartments,  and  was  delighted 
at  obtaining  some  new  wall-papers  and  pieces  of 
furniture.  Beside  the  present  habitation,  a  more 
spacious  and  comfortable  house  was  being  built  for 
him  ;  but  he  had  always  refused  to  bestow  any 
attention  upon  it,  saying  that  he  would  be  dead 
before  its  completion.  Now,  however,  reconciled  to 
the  idea  of  living,  he  displayed  much  solicitude  as 
to  the  daily  progress  of  the  work. 

Several  acts  of  courtesy  on  the  part  of  the 
Governor,  at  this  moment,  must  be  acknowledged. 
He  supplied  the  necessary  carts  and  men  for  trans- 
porting the  trees  brought  to  Longwood.  Better  still, 
he  extended  the  limits  within  which  the  Emperor 
was  free  to  move  about  without  the  escort  of  an 
English  officer  so  as  to  include  about  a  quarter  of 
the  island,  and  thus  induce  him  to  take  the  extremely 
beneficial  exercise  of  riding. 

Napoleon  only  availed  himself  of  this  increase 
of  open  space  on  two  occasions,  when  his  taste  for 
gardening  was  over  and  his  health  seemed  already 
to  be  once  more  giving  way. 

On  the  1 8th  of  September,  1820,  for  the  first 
time  in  the  last  four  years,  he  left  the  four-miles' 
enclosure  for  a  short  gallop,  after  which  he  felt  so 
tired  that  he  was  obliged  to  remain  in  bed  the  whole 
of   the  next  day.     In  the  following  month,  he  tried 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  267 

another  longer  outing  :  he  was  anxious  to  see  again 
a  site  which,  on  a  former  visit  at  the  outset  of  the 
Captivity,  had  greatly  struck  him. 

About    seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  of   Friday, 
October  4th,  he  set  out  from  Longwood   on    horse- 
back   accompanied   by  Marshal   Bertrand,   Count  de 
Montholon,  the  groom,  Archambault,  and  three  other 
servants.     The  little  party  followed   the   Jamestown 
road   as    far   as    the    Devil's    Punchbowl,    and    then 
turned  into  a  lane  that  presently  scaled    the    slopes 
of    Diana    Peak.       After    a   ziq-zslq;   ascension    for    a 
mile    and    a    half    through    a   strange    vegetation    of 
bristling   cactuses,  of  aloes    as    sharp    as    swords,   of 
bracken  curled  like  the  forked  tongues  of   serpents, 
of   parasol -shaped    cabbage -trees,    of    daturas    with 
innumerable  white  bells  hanging  from  their  branches, 
they  reached  the  mountain-top.     The  view  obtained 
there  was  somewhat  similar  to  that  already  described 
at  the  beginning  of  this  book,  but  of  a  much  wider 
range,  for  it  embraced,  together  with  immense  tracts 
of  ocean  in  all  directions,  the  part  of  Saint  Helena 
invisible    from    Alarm- House:    the  extinct  crater  of 
Sandy    Bay.      Looking   down    on    that    side,   at    the 
foot    of   Diana    Peak,   was   a    cottage    called    Mount 
Pleasant.       It    was    inhabited    by    an    old    man,    Sir 
William  Doveton  by  name,  a  leading  Yamstock  and 
former  Member  of   Council   in  the  island.      He  had 
recently  returned  from   London,  where  he  had  been 
unexpectedly  honoured  by  a  reception  at  Court  and 
knighted   by  the    Prince  Regent,  George  iv.     Ever 


2  68  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

since,  the  English  residents  of  Saint  Helena,  some- 
what jealous  of  his  distinction,  took  delight  in 
laughing  at  his  expense,  in  representing  him  as 
simple-minded  to  an  extreme  degree.  For  instance, 
they  would  relate  how  on  his  arrival  in  the  British 
capital,  attributing  the  bustle  of  the  streets  to  some 
public  rejoicing,  he  asked  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm, 
whom  he  happened  to  meet,  to  defer  their  conversa- 
tion until  the  procession  had  passed. 

On  the  day  in  question  he  was  enjoying  the 
fresh  morning  air  in  his  garden,  when  he  noticed 
the  approach  of  seven  horsemen.  He  guessed  that 
Napoleon  was  one  of  them  by  the  scarlet  and  gold 
velvet  trappings  of  his  steed,  his  green  coat,  and 
his  hat  worn  in  martial  style.  A  moment  later 
Count  de  Montholon  alighted  at  the  gate  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  presented  Sir  William  Doveton  with  the 
Emperor's  compliments,  and  begged  him  to  allow 
the  party  to  rest  themselves  in  the  cottage.  The 
old  gentleman,  full  of  respect  for  the  instructions 
of  Hudson  Lowe  and  the  Government  which  had 
just  knighted  him,  replied  that  the  General  was  a 
welcome  visitor,  and  that  the  entire  house  was  at 
his  disposal. 

The  Frenchmen  entered.  Napoleon  seemed  to 
be  tired,  and  mounted  the  steps  of  the  house  with  the 
aid  of  Marshal  Bertrand.  He  was  shown  into  the 
drawing-room,  where  the  three  little  grand-daughters 
of  his  host  soon  made  their  appearance.  He  bade 
one  of  them  sit  beside  him  on  the  sofa,  and,  taking 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  269 

a  small  tortoise-shell  box  from  his  pocket,  distributed 
bits  of  liquorice  to  all.  Mrs.  Greentree,  their  mother, 
coming  in  at  this  juncture,  he  greeted  her  most 
amiably,  and  tapped  the  cheeks  of  a  baby  which  she 
was  holding  in  her  arms. 

Meanwhile  a  conversation  was  going  on  under 
some  difficulties  between  Sir  William,  who  did  not 
know  a  word  of  French,  ancT  Count  Bertrand,  whose 
knowledge  of  English  was  very  limited.  They  ex- 
changed as  many  gestures  as  words  to  arrive  at  an 
understanding.  The  excellent  knight  pressed  the 
General  to  do  him  the  honour  of  breakfasting  with 
him.  He  made  the  Emperor  follow  him  into  the 
dining-room,  where  he  triumphantly  pointed  to  a  big 
piece  of  fresh  butter  as  an  irresistible  temptation. 
Napoleon  thereupon  took  hold  of  his  ear  in  friendly 
fashion,  but  once  more  declined  the  invitation. 
Through  the  medium  of  Marshal  Bertrand,  he  ex- 
plained that  his  servants  had  brought  from  Long- 
wood  two  baskets  full  of  provisions,  and  proposed, 
with  the  consent  of  the  master  of  Mount  Pleasant, 
to  have  the  table  laid  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the 
house. 

Sir  William  Doveton  was  asked  to  partake  of  the 
collation.  The  Emperor  desired  him  to  sit  on  his 
right  hand.  The  breakfast  consisted  of  potted  meat, 
a  cold  pie,  cold  turkey  and  ham,  curried  fowl,  a  salad, 
dates,  almonds,  and  coffee.  The  magnificent  pat  of 
butter  was  set  before  the  guests,  as  well  as  a  bottle  of 
orange  shrub  made  by  Mrs.  Greentree,     At  dessert, 


27 o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Napoleon  poured  out  a  glass  of  champagne  for  the 
knight. 

In  spite  of  this  enlivening  wine  and  the  clemency 
of  the  day — it  was  a  morning  of  an  austral  spring  ; 
the  air  was  delightfully  mild  and  the  sky  of  Saint 
Helena  cloudless — melancholy  reigned  throughout  the 
meal.  Before  the  eyes  of  the  Frenchmen,  stretched 
a  weird  and  impressive  landscape. 

The  mountain  range,  green  at  its  summit  but  bare 
at  its  base,  to  which  Diana  Peak  belongs,  surrounded 
Mount  Pleasant.  This  range  is  merely  the  edge  of 
the  crater — one  of  the  vastest  in  the  world — which 
belched  forth  the  island  in  prehistoric  times,  built  it 
up  with  lava  and  scoria,  and  afterwards,  opening  out 
and  falling  in  on  one  side,  partially  disappeared  into 
the  sea.  The  semi-circular  district  of  Sandy  Bay, 
enclosed  on  the  north,  the  east,  and  the  west  by  the 
high  ridge,  and  bounded  on  the  south  by  a  nearly 
straight  line  of  foam,  the  foam  of  a  perpetual  surf,  is 
all  that  remains  of  the  volcanic  cauldron  at  the  present 
day.  It  is  scarred  by  deep  crevices  in  all  directions, 
and  bristles  with  jagged  eminences.  A  gigantic  rock, 
called  Lot,  vaguely  resembling  a  human  form,  towers 
with  the  vantage  of  its  300  feet  above  an  indescribable 
chaos  of  monstrous  and  rugged  crags,  diversely  tinted 
with  brown,  violet,  purple,  and  orange.  Saint  Helena 
everywhere  else  suggested  the  uttermost  ends  of  the 
earth,  but  here,  with  its  convulsed  and  dumb  panorama, 
its  strange  scheme  of  colour  and  fantastic  shapes  of 
inorganic  matter,   it  appeared   to  be  another  world, 


THE  ILLNESS  OF  THE  EMPEROR  271 

some  unknown  planet,  one  of  those  to  which,  per- 
chance, souls  find  their  way.  A  few  tiny  green  oases, 
on  which,  as  on  the  grassy  terrace  where  the  French- 
men were  sitting,  grew  large  white  arum-lilies,  alone 
relieved  the  lifeless  expanse.  An  imposing  and 
desolate  sight,  indeed,  well  worthy  of  receiving,  on 
days  of  ineffable  sorrow,  the  visit  of  the  great  man 
who  was  soon  to  die. 

Napoleon  only  remained  a  few  hours  at  Sir  William 
Doveton's.  The  return  to  Longwood  seemed  ex- 
tremely painful  to  him,  and  as  soon  as  the  party  had 
reached  the  Jamestown  road,  he  dismounted  and 
stepped  into  his  carriage,  which  he  had  sent  for. 
About  midday  he  once  more  crossed  the  threshold  of 
his  house,  so  tired,  that  both  Marshal  Bertrand  and 
Count  de  Montholon  had  to  support  him. 

The  excursion  to  Sandy  Bay  was  the  last  long 
outing  of  the  Emperor. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH. 

FROM  that  day,   Napoleon  only  went  out  for  a 
few   short   rides  and  drives.      He  grew  much 
weaker,  and  declined    rapidly  during   the  last 
months  of  the  year  1820. 

In  November  the  pains  in  his  stomach,  hitherto 
moderate  and  intermittent,  became  acute  and  con- 
tinuous. He  began  to  vomit  frequently  ;  a  recurrence 
of  the  cedema  in  his  legs  impeded  his  walk.  A 
rasping  cough  fatigued  him.  Overpowering  cravings 
for  sleep,  very  different  from  those  idle  moods,  those 
mere  fits  of  drowsiness,  to  which  he  would  formerly 
give  way  on  his  sofa,  seized  him  frequently  and  made 
him  take  to  his  bed.  He  never  could  rest  well  in  the 
daytime,  except  in  the  dark  ;  but  now  he  insisted  on 
complete  darkness  :  even  with  the  shutters  hermetically 
closed,  and  although  his  servants  were  obliged  to  feel 
their  way  in  the  room,  he  yet  complained  of  being 
inconvenienced  by  the  light.  This  hyper-sensitiveness 
in  the  Emperor's  visual  organ  was  accompanied  by 
the  failing  of  his  sight,  and  he  was  hardly  able  to 
read  any  longer. 

At  the  beginning   of   December,   he   fainted    on 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH   273 

returning  from  a  drive.  Shortly  afterwards,  besides 
the  increasing  lividness  of  his  complexion,  his  lips, 
his  gums,  and  his  nails  were  seen  to  lose  their  colour. 
His  hands,  cold  as  a  rule,  were  pale  as  wax,  and  his 
legs  at  times  chilled  half-way  up  his  thighs  owing  to 
stagnation  of  the  blood. 

On  the  1  st  of  January,  1821,  Napoleon,  contrary 
to  his  custom  on  such  annual  occasions,  excused  the 
colony  at  Longwood  from  paying  their  respects  in 
a  body  to  him.  He  deemed  all  wishes  of  health  and 
happiness  henceforth  superfluous,  knowing  well  that 
the  new  year  would  be  his  last.  "  There  is  no  more 
oil  in  the  lamp,"  he  would  often  say,  or  else,  borrow- 
ing from  Voltaire  the  form  whereby  to  express  the 
same  thought,  he  found  a  melancholy  pleasure  in 
repeating  this  verse  : 

"...  A  revoir  Paris,  je  ne  dois  plus  prétendre  !  " 

Throughout  February  he  never  ceased  to  suffer. 
On  the  19th,  Count  de  Montholon  noticed  that  he 
rambled  slightly  in  conversation.  His  lapses  of 
memory  became  extremely  frequent.  He  now 
described  his  pain  in  the  right  groin  as  one  caused 
by  thrusts  with  a  penknife.  His  stomach  rejected 
a  number  of  nutriments,  and  scarcely  retained  any 
other  animal  nourishment  than  meat  jelly.  His 
circulation  seemed  to  become  still  more  sluo-aish, 
and  in  order  to  stimulate  the  blood  in  the  lower 
extremities  to  something  like  normal  activity,  he  was 
obliged  occasionally  to  have  recourse  to  six  or  seven 


274  THE  DE  AM  A  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

applications  of  warm  towels.  He  would  not  believe 
in  the  high  temperature  of  this  linen,  though  it 
burned  his  servant's  hands. 

Dr.  Antommarchi  attended  him  badly.  In- 
fluenced on  his  arrival  at  Saint  Helena  by  conversa- 
tions with  Hudson  Lowe  and  the  principal  officers 
of  the  island,  he  had  accepted  their  version  that  the 
Emperor  was  feigning  sickness  for  political  reasons. 
After  some  time,  however,  he  admitted  that  Napoleon 
appeared  to  be  afflicted  with  hepatitis,  and  later  he 
diagnosed  cardiac  and  gastric  disorders,  but  in  his 
opinion  none  of  these  affections  gave  cause  for 
grave  alarm.  Accordingly,  the  young  doctor  did  not 
take  his  functions  very  seriously,  and,  as  Count  de 
Montholon  relates,  would  absent  himself  from  Long- 
wood  at  every  moment,  to  seek  feminine  distrac- 
tions in  Jamestown.  Such  singular  conduct  aroused 
the  displeasure  and  tired  the  patience  of  the  Emperor, 
who  forbade  Antommarchi  to  enter  his  bedroom, 
and,  at  the  beginning  of  February,  had  just  sent  him 
a  letter  of  dismissal  containing  the  following  severe 
reproaches  :  "  During  fifteen  months  of  residence  in 
this  country,  you  have  given  His  Majesty  no  ground 
for  the  least  confidence  in  your  moral  character  ;  you 
can  be  of  no  assistance  whatever  to  him  in  his  illness, 
and  to  prolong  your  stay  would  be  useless."  It  was 
only  on  his  formal,  but  desultory,  promise  to  amend, 
that  Antommarchi  was  permitted  to  retain  his  office. 

The  frivolous  doctor  was  not  alone,  moreover,  in 
realising  his  duty  imperfectly.     The  days,  so  replete 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH  275 

with  physical  suffering,  during  which  the  Emperor 
feels  the  approach  of  death,  are  made  still  sadder 
by  an  almost  general  inclination  of  his  household 
to  desert  him.  After  the  recent  departure  of  the 
footman,  Gentilini,  at  the  end  of  1820,  Chandelier 
and  several  other  servants,  whose  health,  it  is  true, 
was  somewhat  impaired,  evinced  a  desire  to  quit 
the  island.  As  late  as  the  middle  of  February,  182 1, 
Count  de  Montholon  —  the  fact  is  shown  by  his 
correspondence  with  his  wife — endeavoured  to  find 
somebody  in  Europe  to  replace  him  at  Longwood. 
The  Bertrands  adhered  at  least  as  long  to  their  inten- 
tion of  leaving.  Napoleon's  companions  had  evidently 
no  idea  that  the  ordeal  of  Saint  Helena  was  to  be 
brought  to  such  a  speedy  conclusion.  For  some 
years  now  the  Emperor  appeared  to  be  seriously 
ill  and  yet  continued  to  live  ;  little  by  little  the 
Frenchmen  around  him  had  grown  accustomed  to 
regard  him  as  one  of  those  valetudinarians  who  give 
constant  cause  for  anxiety,  but  in  the  end  survive 
many  healthier  people. 

Only  in  the  last  half  of  March  did  the  truth 
become  manifest  ;  and  then  the  shameful  purpose  of 
abandoning  a  dying  man  was  relinquished  by  all. 
One  more  departure  still  took  place,  however  :  that 
of  the  Abbé  Buonavita.  But  this  old  man,  afflicted 
with  a  number  of  infirmities,  really  needed  to  flee 
the  climate.  On  the  17th,  Antommarchi  took  him 
on  board  a  ship  bound  for  Europe,  and,  according 
to    his    custom,    dallied    afterwards    at    Jamestown. 


276  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Whilst  he  was  indulging  in  his  favourite  sport  there, 
his  services  were  in  urgent  demand  and  his  return 
impatiently  awaited  at  Longwood.  The  Emperor 
had  been  seized  with  atrocious  pains  in  the  bowels 
and  had  thrown  up  a  clot  of  blood.  From  that  time 
forth  he  was,  so  to  speak,  never  to  leave  his  bed. 

A  fresh  attack  occurred  on  the  19th,  and  the 
doctor  was  again  absent.  On  the  21st,  he  chanced 
to  be  present  when  called  in  to  examine  some 
vomitings  of  black  matter.  Instead  of  counteracting 
these  vomitings  as  far  as  possible,  he  thought  fit  to 
provoke  their  recurrence  and  aggravation,  with  the 
object  of  abating,  to  use  his  own  words,  a  remittent 
gastric  fever,  the  existence  of  which  he  now  dis- 
covered.  On  three  occasions,  the  22nd,  the  23rd, 
and  the  24th  of  March,  he  administered  to  Napoleon 
an  emetic.  The  effect  of  so  irritating  a  salt  on  a 
stomach  rendered  additionally  sensitive  by  cancer 
may  readily  be  imagined.  The  Emperor  suffered 
such  excruciating  pain,  that  he  writhed  on  the  floor 
in  agony.  He  called  Antommarchi  an  assassin,  and 
declared  he  would  have  no  more  to  do  with  him. 

It  then  became  imperative  to  seek  medical 
assistance  in  another  quarter.  Marshal  Bertrand 
and  Count  de  Montholon  bethought  themselves  of 
Dr.  Arnott,  who  was,  as  has  already  been  stated, 
the  surgeon  of  the  20th — a  regiment  which  had  taken 
the  place  at  Dead  wood  Camp  of  Henry's  regiment, 
the  66th,  recently  sent  to  another  part  of  the  island. 
Hudson    Lowe  had  for  some  time  eagerly  proposed 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      277 

the  services  of  this  physician.  Not  that  Napoleon's 
state  of  health  alarmed  the  Governor,  but  because 
he  again  harboured  the  project  of  installing  one  of 
his  subordinates  at  Longwood,  so  as  to  exercise 
there,  in  an  indirect  way,  a  surveillance  more  useful 
now  than  ever  ;  for  he  had  lately  received  a  letter 
from  Lord  Bathurst,  whereby  the  Minister  expressed 
himself  persuaded  that  General  Bonaparte,  doubtless 
informed  of  the  unsettled  condition  of  Europe,  was 
beginning  to  entertain  serious  thoughts  of  escaping 
from  Saint  Helena!  Actuated  by  anxiety  of  a  very 
different  nature,  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de 
Montholon  succeeded,  after  many  entreaties,  in 
persuading  the  Emperor  to  consent  to  the  attendance 
of  Dr.  Arnott. 

His  visits  commenced  on  the  1st  of  April. 
Napoleon  was  henceforward  so  weak  and  his  suffer- 
ings so  great,  that  this  date  may  be  said  to  mark  the 
beginning-  of  his  last  moments,  the  outbreak  of  a 
struggle  against  death  which  lasted  six  weeks  and 
must  be  related  day  by  day. 

The  surgeon  of  the  20th,  like  too  many  people 
at  Saint  Helena,  was  full  of  scepticism  as  regards 
the  illness  for  which  his  services  were  required,  and 
at  the  outset  he  entirely  failed  to  realise  the  gravity 
of  the  case. 

It  is,  moreover,  only  fair  to  state  that  a  certain 
circumstance  struck  him,  not  unreasonably,  as  strange 
and  rather  suspicious  on  the  first  evening  when  he 
was  led  to  the  Emperor's  bedside.     The  room   was 


278  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

dark  and  remained  so  throughout,  for  Napoleon, 
being  ill-humoured  and  peevish,  would  not  allow  a 
lamp  or  even  a  candle  to  be  lighted.  Dr.  Arnott, 
therefore,  found  some  difficulty  in  examining  him, 
and  failed  to  discover  anything  abnormal.  He 
deemed  the  temperature  moderate,  the  breathing 
easy,  and  the  circulation  tranquil.  Accordingly,  he 
reported  to  Hudson  Lowe  that  the  person  he  had 
just  attended — whether  General  Bonaparte  or  some- 
body else — appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of  considerable 
debility,  judging  from  his  pulse,  but  not  in  any 
immediate  danger. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  2nd  of  April,  the 
English  physician  renewed  his  visit.  This  time  no 
obstacle  arose  to  his  examination  :  he  saw  his  patient 
in  broad  daylight,  but  may  well  be  said  to  have 
remained  nevertheless  in  the  dark  ;  for  though  he 
thought  the  Emperor  looked  somewhat  unwell,  he 
attributed  his  terribly  pale  complexion  and  drawn 
features  to  excessive  lying  in  bed,  and  urged  him 
to  rise  frequently.  When  Napoleon  complained  of 
his  shooting  pains  in  the  belly,  of  his  vomiting,  and 
obstinate  constipation,  he  seemed  to  attach  no  im- 
portance except  to  the  last  symptom,  and  saw  nothing 
to  prescribe  but  a  purgative. 

His  optimism  tended  rather  to  disquiet  than  to 
reassure  the  colony  of  Longwood.  At  the  earnest 
entreaties  of  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de 
Montholon,  the  Emperor  restored  to  Antommarchi 
the  right  of  admission  to  his  bedroom,  and  authorised 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      279 

him  to   resume   his    attendance    in   conjunction    with 
Dr.   Arnott. 

On  the  3rd  of  April,  the  two  physicians  visited 
Napoleon  together.  His  pulse,  they  found,  marked 
76  pulsations  —  a  figure  frequently  observed,  but 
nevertheless  considerable  in  a  man  whose  habitual 
circulation  was  so  slow.  The  heat  of  his  body,  on 
the  same  occasion,  remained  below  96  degrees.  The 
patient  appeared  extremely  low.  He  stated  that  he 
could  not  eat  anything  without  a  tendency  to  throw 
it  up  immediately.  Moreover,  he  did  not  feel  hungry, 
or  thirsty  either,  though  he  expressed  a  wish  to 
drink  some  wine.  Antommarchi  and  Dr.  Arnott 
allowed  him  a  little  claret,  and,  having  also  recom- 
mended him  to  take  light  nourishment,  suggested 
nutriments  easily  digested,  such  as  veal  jelly,  cream, 
and  milk. 

In  the  evening  the  pulse  reached  80. 

During  the  night  between  the  3rd  and  4th  of 
April,  Napoleon  suffered  atrociously  from  tension  of 
the  belly  and  vomiting  ;  his  breathing  was  uneasy  ; 
and  he  had  an  accession  of  fever,  which  continued 
until  morning.  A  profuse  perspiration  then  set  in, 
the  febrile  symptoms  abated,  and  by  noon  a  marked 
improvement  showed  itself.  Since  the  constipation 
had  not  ceased,  the  physicians  urged  the  use  of 
purgatives  against  it,  but  the  patient,  fearing,  not 
unreasonably,  that  this  kind  of  medication  might 
cause  his  stomach  to  rebel,  and  render  it  still  more 
sensitive,     preferred    to    have    recourse    to    laxative 


2  8o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

enemafa,    although    the   results    obtained   from    them 
were  insufficient. 

When  Dr.  Arnott  called  at  Longwood  on  the 
5th  of  April,  Antommarchi  informed  him  that  the 
Emperor  had  passed  a  bad  night  and  vomited 
glairy  matter  four  times.  A  high  fever,  that  abated 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  had  seized  him, 
and  was  followed  by  clammy  perspiration,  with 
tension  of  the  abdomen.  At  the  visit,  the  Emperor 
complained  of  feeling  his  penknife  thrusts  in  the 
rio-ht  groin. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  he  felt  very  weak  and 
exhausted,  in  consequence  of  a  fresh  attack  of  nightly 
fever,  not  very  perceptible  in  its  hot-and-cold  stages, 
but  terminated  by  profuse  sweating.  In  the  after- 
noon, he  consented  to  take  an  aperient,  but  insisted 
on  so  small  a  quantity  that  it  had  no  effect.  He 
suffered  in  the  evening  from  coldness  of  the  ex- 
tremities, tension  of  the  abdomen,  cephalalgy,  and 
vomiting. 

Notwithstanding,  the  surgeon  of  the  20th  was 
as  optimistic  as  ever.  So  much  so,  in  fact,  that  on 
the  very  same  day,  Adjutant-General  Sir  Thomas 
Reade,  having  questioned  him  about  the  Emperor, 
wrote  to  Hudson  Lowe  :— 

"  Dr.  Arnott  informed  me  that  he  had  never 
found  him,  during  any  of  his  visits,  in  the  state  in 
which  he  had  been  described  by  Dr.  Antommarchi. 
From  what  I  could  learn  generally,  out  of  Dr. 
Arnott's    conversation,     he    appears    to    think    that 


THE   LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      281 

General  Bonaparte's  complaint  is  not  serious,  or  at 
least  is  chiefly  mental.  Count  Bertrand  had  asked 
him  his  opinion  ;  he  told  him  that  he  saw  no  danger 
whatever.  During  his  visit  this  morning  he  re- 
commended General  Bonaparte  to  rise  and  get 
shaved.  He  replied  he  was  too  weak  at  present, 
that  he  would  shave  when  he  was  a  little  stronger. 
He  always  preferred  shaving  himself.  His  beard 
is  very  long,  and  Dr.  Arnott  describes  his  looks 
in  consequence  to  be  horrible.  I  inquired  if  he 
appeared  much  emaciated?  His  reply  was  in  these 
words  :  'No,  I  feel  his  pulse  frequently,  and  he  has 
as  stout  a  wrist,  with  as  much  flesh  upon  his  arm, 
as  I  have  ;  neither  does  his  face  appear  to  have  fallen 
away  much.  I  see  nothing  very  particular  in  his 
appearance  except  his  colour,  which  is  very  pallid — 
cadaverous.  I  saw  him  vomit  this  morning,  which  is 
the  only  extraordinary  thing  I  have  observed  ;  he  did 
not,  however,  vomit  much.'  " 

Such  was  the  medical  perspicacity  shown  about 
a  man  whose  stomach  was  being  gnawed  by  a  cancer 
in  its  last  stage,  and  who  was  to  die  four  weeks  later  ! 

On  the  7th  of  April,  the  Emperor  again  consented 
to  take  some  purgative  pills,  which,  this  time, 
produced  the  desired  effect  and  gave  him  consider- 
able relief. 

Then,  feeling  stronger,  he  rose,  proceeded  to 
dress,  and  shaved  standing.  Thus  refreshed,  and 
glad  to  be  rid  of  a  beard  nearly  a  month  old,  he  sat 
down  in  an   armchair,  glanced  through  some  news- 


282  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

papers  that  had  just  arrived  from  Europe,  and 
bethinking  himself  a  little  later  of  the  will  he  had 
drawn  up  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1819,  and 
entrusted  to  Count  Bertrand,  he  ordered  the  Grand 
Marshal  to  fetch  it.  He  read  the  document  over  once 
more,  and,  no  longer  satisfied,  threw  it  into  the  fire. 

During  the  night  he  had  a  fresh  accession  of 
fever,  perspired  profusely,  and  was  obliged  to 
change  his  linen  several  times. 

On  the  8th,  a  mild  aperient  produced  the  same 
beneficial  result  as  on  the  previous  day  ;  but  purga- 
tives decidedly  filled  the  Emperor  with  too  much 
disgust,  for  he  showed  no  disposition  to  continue 
them. 

In  the  morning  of  that  day,  Antommarchi  was 
called  again  to  the  sick-room  after  his  visit  with 
Dr.  Arnott.  He  was  sought  everywhere  in  vain, 
having  just  left  Longwood  to  take  a  ride  along  the 
Jamestown  road,  from  which  he  did  not  return  until 
evening.  For  the  third  time  Napoleon  sent  word 
that  he  would  not  see  him  any  more,  and  on  the 
morrow  the  singular  physician,  humiliated  and 
furious,  requested  Hudson  Lowe's  permission  to 
return  to  Europe.  He  was  only  present  at  the  bed- 
side of  the  dying  Emperor  on  account  of  the  delay 
occasioned  by  the  procurement  of  this  permission. 

On  the  9th,  Napoleon  left  his  bed  for  an  hour. 

On  the  10th,  also,  he  was  able  to  rise,  and  felt 
better,  although  exhausted.  He  told  Arnott  "  that 
the  fever  was  now  past,  and  that  he  had  returned  to 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH   283 

the  state  he  had  been  in  for  the  last  eight  months 
— great  weakness,  and  want  of  appetite."  Then, 
placing  his  hand  on  his  right  groin,  he  added  :  Cest 
là,  cest  le  foie,  docteur.  After  having  examined  the 
hypochondriac  region,  the  English  surgeon  assured 
him  that  the  liver  was  in  no  way  diseased,  and  at 
most  that  organ  could  merely  be  considered  some- 
what torpid. 

In  the  afternoon  the  Emperor  spoke  of  making 
his  will  again  :  "  I  shall  see  about  it  from  to-morrow, 
if  all  goes  well,"  he  replies  incredulously  to  Count  de 
Montholon,  who  ventures  to  remark  that  the  pre- 
caution is  not  urgent. 

But  the  following  day,  the  nth  of  April,  was  a 
very  bad  one.  The  vomiting  had  begun  again 
during  the  night,  and  was  now  increasing  to  an 
alarming  extent. 

Throughout  the  12th  it  still  persisted.  The 
matter  thrown  off  the  stomach  had  a  viscid  and 
mucous  appearance,  and  the  Emperor  became  more 
and  more  exhausted  after  each  fresh  attack.  "  I  am 
convinced  that  medical  aid  can  be  of  no  avail  to 
me,"  he  declared  to  Dr.  Arnott.  "I  am  labouring 
under  a  fatal  disease."  He  rose,  however,  and  settled 
himself  in  an  armchair,  but  after  half  an  hour  he 
felt  a  freezing  sensation  in  his  legs  that  threatened 
to  invade  his  whole  body.  On  being  put  to  bed 
again,  he  inquired  "whether  a  person  ever  died  of 
debility,  and  how  long  one  could  live,  eating  as  little 
as  he  did  ?  " 


284  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

He  then  took  a  small  quantity  of  meat  jelly,  two 
biscuits,  and  a  few  spoonfuls  of  muscat,  which  he  did 
not  digest. 

For  the  whole  following  night  he  could  not  sleep, 
being  distressed  by  tension  of  the  abdomen.  He 
continued  to  vomit,  and  his  shirt,  his  vest,  and  even 
the  bandana  neckerchief  with  which  he  covered  his 
head,  were  drenched  with  perspiration.  Seven  times 
Count  de  Montholon  and  Marchand  had  to  change 
his  linen.  As  the  Emperor  would  not  abide  any 
light  in  his  bedroom,  and  only  permitted  the  faint 
glimmer  of  a  candle  placed  in  the  adjoining  study, 
the  operation  was  long  and  difficult,  and  at  times  he 
showed  impatience. 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th  of  April,  he  com- 
plained that  he  was  growing  weaker  and  weaker 
every  day.  During  Dr.  Arnott's  visit,  he  was  again 
seized  with  vomiting.  To  alleviate  this,  the  physician 
administered  an  opiate,  which  had  not  the  desired 
effect. 

But  the  Emperor  mastered  his  sufferings,  and 
about  noon  he  rose  and  shut  himself  up  with  Count 
de  Montholon,  to  whom,  for  two  or  three  hours,  he 
dictated  his  will. 

He  began  by  declaring  that  he  died  in  the 
Catholic,  Apostolic,  and  Roman  faith  ;  not  that 
his  doubts  appear  to  have  ceased,  but  because  he 
was  born  in  this  faith,  believed  it  to  be  the  best, 
and  had  re-established  it  in  France  by  signing  the 
Concordat.     . 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      285 

Next,  he  expressed  his  desire  of  resting  on  the 
banks  of  the  Seine. 

His  thoughts  afterwards  turned  to  the  Duke  of 
Reichstadt,  his  lineage,  his  hopes  of  a  dynasty  im- 
perilled at  the  Court  of  Vienna.  To  whom  was  he 
to  recommend  this  frail  heir,  only  ten  years  old  ? 
Evidently  to  his  mother,  a  Habsburg.  But,  since  his 
fall,  never  had  Napoleon  received  from  Marie-Louise 
a  single  message  of  consolation  ;  never  the  least  token 
of  remembrance.  He  knew  that  his  wife  had  forgotten 
him  and  become  the  concubine  of  Neipperg,  the 
Austrian  general.  For  some  time  he  remained  silent 
and  appeared  to  hesitate,  a  prey  to  a  violent  inward 
struggle,  and  then  bade  Count  de  Montholon  write  : 
"  I  have  always  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with 
my  dear  wife  Marie- Louise,  for  whom  I  retain  to  the 
last  the  tenderest  affection.  I  beg  her  to  see  that  my 
son  be  safeguarded  from  the  snares  by  which  his 
infancy  is  still  surrounded." 

It  is  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  that  he  intends  to 
leave  the  objects  that  have  been  in  closest  contact 
with  him,  his  most  intimate  and  personal  property  : 
"  the  linen  he  wore  and  used,"  sheets,  shirts,  handker- 
chiefs, bandana  neckerchiefs  ;  the  greater  part  of  his 
clothes,  his  two  camp-beds,  his  toilet  cases,  his  silver 
wash-hand-stand,  and  his  silver-gilt  bidet.  He  assigns 
to  him  also  his  arms,  the  sword  of  Austerlitz,  a  dagger, 
a  glave,  his  hunting-knife,  and  his  pistols  ;  the  saddles, 
bridles,  and  spurs  which  he  used  on  his  short  and 
infrequent  rides  during  the  Captivity  ;  his  plate  and 


286  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Sèvres  china,  and  four  hundred  volumes  to  be  chosen 
among  the  books  of  the  library  at  Longwood. 

The  Emperor  hopes  that  these  objects  will  prove 
dear  to  the  child  "  in  memory  of  a  father  of  whom  the 
whole  world  will  speak  to  him." 

Thirty-three  other  legacies  follow  :  Napoleon 
lavishes  largesses  on  his  former  generals,  officers, 
and  dignitaries,  his  companions  in  exile,  and  his 
servants. 

He  bequeaths  £"iooo  to  Coursot  and  Chandelier, 
,£2000  to  Archambault,  £"4000  to  Pierron,  Noverraz, 
Saint  -  Denis,  the  Abbé  Vignali,  and  Count  de 
Las  Cases. 

To  Marchand  he  leaves  ,£16,000,  "because  his 
services  have  been  those  of  a  friend  "  ;  to  Marshal 
Bertrand  ,£20,000. 

Count  de  Montholon,  who  has  kept  him  company 
at  all  hours  for  years,  and  now  attends  him  every  night, 
is  to  receive  £"80,000  "  in  recognition  of  his  filial 
attentions."  "Do  you  desire  more?"  the  Emperor 
asks  in  conclusion.  The  Count  is  so  deeply  moved 
that  he  cannot  reply.  "  Well  !  go  and  copy  out  what 
I  have  just  dictated  to  you,  and  the  day  after  to- 
morrow we  will  re-read  this  testament.  You  shall 
dictate  it  to  me  in  your  turn,  and  I  will  write  it." 

Napoleon  had  set  himself  a  task  which  greatly 
fatigued  him,  but  he  slept  well  during  the  night,  and, 
on  the  14th  of  April,  Dr.  Arnott  found  him  looking 
somewhat  better  :  he  did  not  suffer,  appeared  in  good 
spirits,  and  got  up  twice. 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      287 

Conversing"  a  few  moments  with  the  physician,  he 
spoke  of  the  English  soldiers,  and  praised  Marl- 
borough :  "  He  was  a  man,"  said  the  Emperor,  "  who 
saw  farther  than  the  battlefield.  He  knew  at  one 
and  the  same  time  how  to  command  an  army  and 
how  to  negotiate.  Has  the  20th  the  record  of  his 
campaigns  ?" — "  I  do  not  think  so." — "Then,  doctor, 
please  accept  the  copy  I  possess,  and  place  it  in 
the  library  of  your  regiment  ;  I  esteem  brave  men 
of  all  nations." 

This  gift  provoked  an  incident  of  which,  by 
good  chance,  Napoleon  was  never  informed.  The 
book,  a  little  later,  was  handed  over  to  Lutyens,  the 
orderly  officer,  who  thought  it  his  duty  to  address  it 
to  Major  Jackson,  in  command  of  the  corps  for  which 
it  was  destined.  But  Hudson  Lowe,  on  learning  the 
Emperor's  courteous  act,  grotesquely  interpreted  it  as 
an  attempt  on  the  part  of  General  Bonaparte  to  seduce 
the  20th  from  its  allegiance.  The  Life  of  Marl- 
borough was  confiscated  by  the  Governor,  and  Captain 
Lutyens,  who  gave  complete  satisfaction  at  Long- 
wood,  was  rated  severely,  and  induced  to  resign  his 
functions. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  Napoleon's  strength 
sank  again  considerably.  His  vomiting  returned; 
he  perspired  abundantly,  and  had  difficulty  in 
breathing. 

This,  however,  did  not  prevent  him  from  working 
anew  at  his  will,  of  which  he  transcribed  ten  or  twelve 
pages  with  a  trembling  hand  at  Count  de  Montholon's 


288  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

dictation  :  an  arduous  and  tedious  task,  that  occupied 
him  from  four  to  five  hours. 

After  finishing,  he  was  not  so  tired  as  might  have 
been  feared,  and  even — contrary  to  all  expectation — 
felt  tolerably  well  on  the  morrow,  when  he  took  some 
food  with  appetite,  and  worked  again  at  his  codicils. 

But  on  the  17th  of  April,  Dr.  Arnott  noted  an 
aggravation  of  all  the  symptoms  ;  the  vomiting  in- 
creased, the  pulse  was  small,  frequent,  and  irregular  ; 
the  whole  body,  cold.  The  patient  fell  into  a  state  of 
coma,  from  which  he  awoke  at  intervals  to  complain 
of  suffocation. 

He  refused  to  take  a  purgative,  but  obtained  more 
marked  relief  than  usual  from  an  enema.  After  that, 
in  the  afternoon,  the  coma  ceased  ;  the  pulse  became 
more  regular  and  dropped  to  70  ;  the  temperature 
rose.  Napoleon,  now  himself  again  and  almost 
cheerful,  expressed  a  wish  for  some  minced  pheasant. 
He  ate  a  little  of  it,  and  drank  about  a  tablespoonful 
of  claret. 

He  called  for  Count  de  Montholon,  and  as  the 
latter  on  entering  the  room  was  struck  by  the  feverish 
brilliancy  of  his  eyes,  he  reassured  him  with  these 
words  :  "  I  am  not  worse,  but  I  have  been  thinking 
about  what  my  trustees  should  say  to  my  son  when 
they  see  him."  And  the  Emperor  immediately 
dictates  his  instructions  on  that  head  :  "  The  Duke  of 
Reichstadt  must  not  think  of  avenging  his  death,  but 
of  profiting  by  it  ;  he  should  never  forget  that  he  was 
born  a  French  prince,  nor  try  to  recover  the  throne 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      289 

with  the  help  of  foreigners  ;  if,  by  way  of  imitation, 
and  without  absolute  necessity,  he  were  to  undertake 
the  same  wars  as  his  father,  he  would  only  be  aping 
him,  il  ne  serait  qiiun  singe  ;  he  might  reign  as 
a  pacific  ruler,  and  still  rank  among  the  great 
sovereigns." 

The  night  between  the  17th  and  18th  of  April  was 
a  bad  one.  From  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  to  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  Napoleon  vomited  continually. 
He  felt  better  at  daybreak,  but  remained  depressed 
and  silent.  He  then  took  a  little  vermicelli  soup, 
which  he  at  once  rejected.  He  complained  of  a 
sensation  of  heat  in  the  right  hypochondrium  and 
referred  it  to  the  liver,  but  Dr.  Arnott  assured  him 
once  more  that  this  organ  was  not  affected. 

The  English  surgeon  now  grew  seriously  alarmed. 
He  had  pleaded  in  favour  of  Antommarchi,  who  again 
accompanied  him  on  his  visits. 

On  the  19th,  the  patient  gave  less  anxiety  to  the 
physicians.  He  had  slept  fairly  well,  had  not  vomited, 
and  had  even  taken  some  food  about  midnight. 
During  the  morning,  he  ate  again.  The  pulse,  though 
weak,  was  regular,  and  marked  y 6  ;  the  temperature 
normal.  Napoleon  seemed  cheerful  and  inclined  to 
conversation.  The  burning  pain  in  the  right  hypo- 
chondrium had  left  him  after  a  most  efficacious  enema. 

He  rose  and  had   Hannibal's  campaigns  read  to 

him.     When,  however,  Count  de  Montholon  expressed 

his  pleasure  at  seeing  his  improved  condition  :  "  Do 

not   deceive    yourself  about   it,"   said    the   Emperor; 

19 


290  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  I  am  better  to-day,  it  is  true,  but  I  feel  none  the 
less  that  my  end  is  near." 

The  night  between  the  19th  and  the  20th  of  April 
was  good,  except  that  from  eleven  to  three  o'clock 
Napoleon  was  somewhat  troubled  by  a  sensation  of 
heat  in  the  abdomen,  and  of  choking,  accompanied 
by  thirst  ;  and,  on  drinking  anything,  had  difficulty 
in  swallowing.  In  the  morning  he  was  well.  To- 
wards evening  he  complained  of  a  burning  pain 
in  the  heart.  He  had  a  continual  nausea,  he  also 
declared,  and  was  only  prevented  from  vomiting  by 
keeping  very  quiet.  A  little  nourishment  he  had 
taken,  rested  on  his  stomach. 

He  scarcely  suffered  on  the  21st  of  April  ;  his 
stomach  was  easy.  In  the  afternoon  he  sent  for 
the  Abbé  Vignali  and  asked  him  :  "  Do  you  know 
what  a  chapelle  ai'dente  is  ?  " 

"Yes,  Sire." 

"  Did  you  ever  officiate  in  one  ?  " 

"  No,  never." 

"Well,  you  will  officiate  in  mine." 

He  then  entered  into  minute  details.  ..."  You  will 
expose  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  you  will  say  the  prayer 
of  the  forty  hours.  After  my  death  you  will  place  your 
altar  at  my  head  and  continue  to  celebrate  mass, 
with  all  the  customary  rites,  until  my  burial." 

On  the  morrow  the  Emperor  vomited  a  little,  but 
his  state  remained  on  the  whole  satisfactory. 

Likewise  on  the  23rd. 

On  the  24th,  Antommarchi  and  Dr.  Arnott  noted 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      291 

a  remission  of  all  the  febrile  symptoms,  and  the 
digestive  organs  worked  regularly  enough. 

The  improvement  soon  ceased.  During  the 
following,  sleepless  night,  the  vomiting  was  almost 
uninterrupted. 

It  increased  on  the  25th  of  April.  Napoleon 
determined,  however,  to  resume  the  labour  of  drawing1 
up  his  last  provisions.  Shaking  with  convulsions, 
his  mouth  bitter  with  nausea,  he  pulled  himself 
together  to  write  down  several  codicils,  wherein  he 
dealt  with  innumerable  objects,  and  mentioned  a 
hundred  names.  He  afterwards  dictated  and  signed 
equally  long  and  complicated  instructions  for  his 
three  executors,  Count  Bertrand,  Count  de  Montholon, 
and  Marchand. 

On  the  26th,  he  was  seized  with  fever  ;  he  had 
been  delirious  in  the  course  of  the  night,  and  com- 
plained  of  a  violent  pain  in  the  epigastric  and 
hypochondriac  regions. 

In  the  evening  he  talked  with  the  Grand  Marshal 
about  his  son.  The  Court  of  Vienna,  he  said,  would 
endeavour,  perhaps,  to  make  a  priest  of  him,  a  cardinal  ; 
the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  must  never  consent  to  this 
abdication  ;  his  French  supporters  should  try  to 
obtain  intelligence  about  his  education,  and,  if  neces- 
sary, exert  themselves  as  far  as  possible  to  counteract 
the  influence  of  the  Austrian  tutors. 

The  27th  of  April  must  be  considered  as  the  most 
wonderful  of  those  closing  days,  when  the  Emperor, 
in  the  midst  of  atrocious  sufferings,   still   displayed, 


292  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

at  intervals,  such  astounding  mental  activity  and 
capacity  for  work. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Napoleon,  barely 
recovered  from  an  attack  of  coma  which  had  left 
him  temporarily  exhausted,  dismissed  Count  de 
Montholon  who  was  in  attendance.  He  busied  him- 
self in  Marchand's  company  about  sealing  his  will 
and  his  codicils,  and  affixed  his  signature  and  arms 
to  nine  envelopes  tied  with  red  and  with  green 
ribbons.  He  called  for  three  mahogany  caskets 
containing  a  large  number  of  snuff-boxes,  bonbonnières, 
miniatures,  spy-glasses,  and  orders.  He  had  these 
caskets,  which  he  assigned  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt, 
emptied,  and  set  about  making  an  inventory  of  them. 

He  was  frequently  interrupted  in  his  task  by 
vomiting.  Antommarchi  and  Dr.  Arnott  then  arrived 
for  their  visit.  They  saw  him  throw  up  a  dark-coloured 
fluid  resembling  coffee  grounds  :  a  sure  sign,  this  time, 
of  cancer  of  the  stomach,  or  of  an  equally  fatal  ulcer. 

On  being  urged  to  stop,  to  take  at  least  a  few 
moments'  rest,  Napoleon  refused,  saying  :  "  I  am  very 
tired,  but  little  time  remains  to  me,  I  feel  ;  I  must 
finish."  His  bed  was  covered  with  objects  of  every 
description  ;  he  chose  from  out  the  number  a  diamond 
necklace  and  a  gold  snuff-box.  The  necklace  he 
handed  to  Marchand.  "Take  this,"  he  told  him,  "as 
I  do  not  know  the  state  of  my  affairs  in  Europe  ; 
good  Hortense,  thinking  it  might  be  of  use  to  me, 
insisted  upon  my  accepting  it  when  I  left  Malmaison. 
I  believe  it  is  worth  ^"Sooo.     It  will  enable  you,  once 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      293 

in  France,  to  await  my  legacy."  The  gold  snuff-box 
bore  no  monogram  ;  Napoleon  laboriously  engraved  an 
"N"  upon  it  with  the  point  of  a  penknife,  and  destined 
it  for  Dr.  Arnott.  By  this  gift,  he  merely  intended 
to  show  a  mark  of  his  esteem  for  the  correct  and 
affable  manners  of  the  man,  for  he  had  never  expected, 
nor  even  desired,  any  serious  medical  assistance  from 
the  surgeon.  "Give  me  some  Constance  wine,"  he 
said  a  moment  later  to  Marchand, — "just  a  drop  ; 
it  can  do  me  no  harm."  The  devoted  servant 
would  have  preferred  to  pour  out  for  his  master  a 
draught  of  gentian  and  magnesia  that  the  doctors 
had  prescribed.  "Bah!  they  do  not  understand 
anything  about  it.  Give  me  a  little  wine,  I  tell  you  ; 
it  will  strengthen  me.  To  be  sure,  I  do  not  mean 
to  do  anything  to  shorten  my  days,  but  I  would  not 
stir  a  finger  to  prolong  them.  There  lies  the 
trouble,"  he  added,  pointing  to  his  right  groin, 
" .   .   .   it  is  like  being  sliced  by  a  razor." 

In  the  afternoon  he  dictated  two  letters,  one 
of  which  was  destined  for  Baron  Labouillerie,  ex- 
treasurer  of  his  private  estates,  the  other  for  the 
banker  Laffitte,  the  depositary  of  his  funds  in  Paris. 
He  enclosed  in  envelopes  promissory  notes  to  the 
amount  of  ,£240,000,  and  wrote  all  the  addresses 
himself.  A  simple  sheet  of  cardboard,  which  he 
held  in  his  left  hand,  served  as  a  desk  ;  with  his 
right  he  dipped  his  pen  into  an  inkstand  held  by  Count 
de  Montholon,  who  stood  by  his  bedside. 

He  started  vomiting  again,  and  was  so  exhausted 


294  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

that  his  head  fell  back  on  the  pillow,  his  eyes  closed, 
and  about  half-past  three  he  dropped  asleep. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  he  got  up. 
Wrapped  in  his  dressing-gown  and  seated  in  an 
armchair  before  his  little  table,  he  gathered  around 
him  Count  Bertrand,  Count  de  Montholon,  and 
Marchand,  his  three  executors,  and  the  Abbé 
Vig-nali.  He  ordered  the  Grand  Marshal  to  draw 
up  a  list  of  the  documents  which  he  had  sealed,  and 
to  which  he  requested  the  four  Frenchmen  also  to 
affix  their  seals  and  their  signatures. 

It  would  appear  that  he  had  now  settled  and 
foreseen  everything.  Not  at  all.  He  was  still  intent 
upon  settling  the  terms  of  a  letter  to  be  sent  soon 
to  Hudson  Lowe.  In  a  voice  that  was  raised  rather 
than  lowered  he  dictated  : — 

"  Monsieur  le  Gouverneur, — I  have  the  honour 
to  inform  you  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  died  on 
the  .  .  .  after  a  long  and  painful  illness. 

"  I  have  been  authorised  by  him  to  impart  to  you 
his  last  wishes,  should  you  desire  to  know  them.  I 
beg  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  acquaint  me  with  the 
arrangements  prescribed  by  your  Government  for  the 
conveyance  of  his  remains  to  Europe,  and  also  those 
concerning  the  persons  of  his  suite." 

So  deeply  moved  were  the  Emperor's  companions, 
that  they  could  scarcely  refrain  from  tears.  On 
finishing,  he  said  to  Count  de  Montholon  :  "  You  will 
sign  this  communication." 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH  295 

The  scene  took  place  in  the  study  adjoining 
the  bedroom.  A  few  days  back,  Napoleon  had  left 
the  latter,  declaring  that  he  lacked  air  there.  But  the 
study  was  equally  narrow  and  low.  "It  is  terribly 
stuffy  here,"  the  Emperor  again  complained  ;  "  please, 
carry  my  bed  into  the  drawing-room."  He  rose  from 
his  armchair,  and  as  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Marchand 
hastened  to  take  him  in  their  arms,  he  refused. 
"  No  ;  when  I  am  dead.  For  the  present  you  need 
only  support  me."  And,  still  standing,  he  moved 
towards  the  somewhat  more  spacious  apartment, 
where  he  was  soon  to  breathe  his  last. 

On  the  following  day,  the  28th  of  April,  a  re- 
currence took  place  of  the  vomiting  of  dark-coloured 
fluid,  mixed  with  specks  of  blood.  The  Emperor's 
pulse  beat  faintly  and  he  often  talked  incoherently. 
During  a  moment  of  respite,  he  said  to  those  around 
him  :  "  This  incessant  vomiting  makes  me  think  that 
my  stomach  is  the  seat  of  my  malady,  and  I  am 
almost  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  affected  by  the 
disorder  that  brought  my  father  to  the  grave  :  a 
scirrhus  in  the  pylorus.  Yet  it  is  remarkable  that 
I  have  always  had  a  very  sound  stomach,  and,  until 
recently,  have  never  suffered  from  it.  Besides,  I 
have  been  abstemious,  whereas  my  father  had  a 
strong  liking  for  spirits  and  for  highly-seasoned 
dishes.  However  that  may  be,  I  recommend  you 
to  have  my  body  opened,  and  to  inform  my  son  of 
the  post-mortem  appearances,  so  as  to  forewarn 
him." 


296  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

In  the  course  of  the  same  day,  Hudson  Lowe, 
to  whom  Dr.  Arnott  sent  more  and  more  pessimistic 
reports,  placed  all  the  physicians  of  Saint  Helena  at 
the  disposal  of  Longwood.  The  Governor  was  con- 
vinced at  last  that  the  disease  of  which  General 
Bonaparte  had  complained  for  years  was  a  serious 
one. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  Napoleon  again  vomited 
and  was  delirious. 

In  the  night  between  that  day  and  the  following, 
towards  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  Emperor, 
awaking  after  a  little  sleep,  and  evidently  under  the 
influence  of  great  febrile  excitement,  dictated  to 
Count  de  Montholon  a  scheme  for  assigning  a  new 
use  to  the  Palace  of  Versailles,  and  entitled  this 
Premiere  rêverie.  Afterwards  he  made  Marchand 
note  down  under  the  title  of  Seconde  rêverie  a 
scheme  for  the  military  organisation  of  France.  He 
thought  himself  so  well,  that  he  declared  he  felt 
strong  enough  to  cover  fifteen  leagues  on  horseback. 

During  the  30th,  his  intellect  appeared  more 
collected  ;  the  fever  had  left  him  ;  his  pulse  was 
regular,  his  respiration  easy,  and  he  hardly  suffered. 
It  was  the  lull  that  precedes  the  last  convulsions,  the 
customary  truce  before  the  supreme  struggle. 

About  midnight  Napoleon's  body  suddenly  grew 
as  cold  as  ice  ;  his  heart  almost  ceased  beating.  The 
sufferer  gasped  for  breath,  and  filled  the  apartment 
with  the  dread  sound  of  the  death-rattle.  It  seemed 
as  though  his  last  hour  had  come. 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      297 

The  Abbé  Vignali  began  reciting  the  prayers  for 
the  dying  at  an  altar  set  up  in  the  drawing-room. 

But  the  fatal  moment  was  not  as  near  as  was 
supposed,  and  Napoleon  had  still  five  days  to  live 
in  an  unconscious  and  delirious  state. 

On  the  1  st  of  May,  he  continued  to  be  distressingly 
weak.  A  clammy  perspiration  drenched  his  linen  ; 
his  pulse,  small  and  frequent,  marked  as  many  as  a 
hundred  pulsations  a  minute.  The  singult  recurred 
at  intervals. 

The  Emperor  refused  everything  that  was  offered 
him,  either  medicine  or  nourishment,  with  a  shake  of 
his  head  and  a  peevish  "No,  no."  Antommarchi 
and  Dr.  Arnott  remained  all  day  by  his  side,  and 
very  often  he  failed  to  recognise  them  ;  he  repeatedly 
addressed  Dr.  Arnott  as  Stokoe,  and,  surprised  at 
hearing  the  name  of  Antommarchi,  he  asked  :  "Is 
not  O'Meara  still  attending  me?" 

On  the  2nd  of  May,  the  respiration  was  quick 
and  oppressed,  the  singult  almost  incessant.  The 
pulse,  barely  perceptible,  reached  108.  Napoleon  had 
some  vomiting.  His  memory  failed  him  more  and 
more,  and  he  rambled.  The  few  thoughts  he  could 
still  gather  were  devoted  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt, 
and  in  the  evening  he  dictated  to  Marchand  : 

"  I  bequeath  to  my  son,  my  house  at  Ajaccio  with 
its  dependencies;  two  houses  with  their  gardens 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Salines;  all  my  property 
situated  in  the  district  of  Ajaccio,  bringing  in  an 
income  of  fifty  thousand  francs. 


298  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  I  bequeath  .  .  .  ." 

Marchand  made  a  pretence  of  writing,  for  none 
of  these  Corsican  possessions  existed  in  reality. 

On  the  3rd  of  May,  Napoleon  only  spoke  with 
difficulty  ;  tormented  by  an  ardent  thirst,  he  tried  to 
explain  to  his  maître  d'hôtel,  Pierron,  a  sort  of 
orangeade  he  desired,  but  he  stammered  so  much 
that  he  could  only  articulate  orange,  orange. 

Death  being  then  to  all  appearances  imminent, 
the  Abbé  Vignali  brought  in  the  viaticum  to  the 
Emperor.  A  solemn  consultation  took  place  between 
Antommarchi  and  Dr.  Arnott,  in  the  former's  room, 
together  with  Dr.  Shortt,  physician  to  the  Forces, 
and  Dr.  Mitchell,  surgeon  of  H.M.S.  Vigo.  The 
four  physicians  decided  to  oppose  the  patient's  con- 
stipation, which  had  now  lasted  for  three  days  and 
added  a  very  painful  tension  of  the  abdomen  to  his 
other  sufferings.  But,  in  spite  of  his  prostration, 
Napoleon  was  still  able  to  manifest  his  aversion  to 
medicines  ;  and  Dr.  Arnott  was  obliged  to  have 
recourse  to  calomel,  easily  administered  without  his 
knowledge. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  the  digestive  organs  were 
freed  by  the  successful  action  of  this  laxative.  The 
Emperor  showed  less  restlessness  and  anxiety,  and 
seemed  more  sensible  to  objects  around  him.  His 
debility,  however,  remained  as  great  as  before.  The 
singult  continued,  and,  with  a  view  to  relieving  it, 
the  doctors  gave  the  patient  a  draught  of  opium 
tincture  and  ether.      At  the  same  time  they  tried  to 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DExVTH      299 

maintain  the  little  amount  of  strength  which  he  still 
retained,  with  meat  jelly  and  wine. 

The  night  between  the  4th  and  the  5th  of  May 
was  passed  in  delirium.  At  two  o'clock  Napoleon 
painfully  uttered  the  words,  France — armée.  Hence- 
forth he  was  to  speak  no  more. 

But  at  the  same  moment  he  sprang  out  of  bed 
with  a  convulsive  leap,  and  such  was  his  vigour  that 
he  draoraed  Count  de  Montholon,  who  endeavoured 
to  restrain  him,  on  to  the  floor,  and  nearly  strangled 
him,  so  fiercely  did  he  grasp  his  throat — the  last 
effort,  as  Lord  Rosebery  remarks,  of  that  formidable 
energy  which  had  stirred  the  world.  Archambault, 
who  was  in  attendance  in  the  adjoining  dining-room, 
had  to  hasten  to  release  the  Count  from  the  terrible 
clutch,  and  lead  the  Emperor  back  to  his  bed. 

Henceforward  Napoleon  remained  quiet.  At  five 
o'clock  in  the  mornino-  he  vomited  the  same  dark- 
coloured  fluid  as  on  the  27th  and  the  28th  of  April. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  lost  the  power  of  deglutition. 
His  thirst  could  only  be  assuaged  by  the  pressing 
to  his  lips  of  a  sponge  soaked  in  water.  Count 
de  Montholon  assumed  this  pious  office.  Ever  and 
anon  Antommarchi  approached  to  replace  him,  but, 
each  time,  the  dying  man  made  a  faint  gesture  to 
keep  off  the  doctor,  and  repulsed  him  by  his  gaze. 

A  little  later  his  eyes  became  fixed,  his  under- 
jaw  dropped  ;  the  muscular  tonus  disappeared,  and 
the  lugubrious  warning  of  the  death-rattle  was  heard 
once  more  in  the  chamber. 


300  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Even  when  further  hope  seems  utterly  vain, 
physicians  still  think  it  their  duty  to  try  the  resources 
of  their  science.  And  so  the  two  doctors  of  Napoleon 
apply  sinapisms  to  his  feet,  and  blisters  to  his  legs 
and  sternum.  Neither  sinapisms  nor  blisters  take 
effect. 

Throughout  the  day  the  Emperor  remains 
motionless,  reclining  on  his  back,  with  his  right  hand 
hanging  out  of  the  sheets. 

Arnott  and  Antommarchi,  Marshal  Bertrand,  his 
wife  and  children,  Count  de  Montholon,  Marchand 
and  the  remainder  of  the  household,  Saint- Denis, 
Pierron,  Archambault,  Chandelier,  and  Coursot,  await 
the  end,  gathered  round  the  little  iron  bed,  the  camp- 
bed  with  the  four  silver  eagles  of  Austerlitz  and 
Marengo,  whilst  the  Abbé  Vignali  murmurs  prayers 
in  an  adjoining  room.  One  servant  is  absent  : 
Noverraz,  afflicted  with  liver  complaint  and  also  laid 
up.  Suddenly  he  makes  his  appearance  with  haggard 
look  and  streaming  eyes.  He  knows  that  the 
Emperor  is  dying,  and  drags  himself  into  his  presence 
to  see  him  for  the  last  time. 

The  weather  outside  is  gloomy.  Rain  falls 
incessantly.  Beneath  the  motionless  canopy  of  the 
sombre  sky,  livid  clouds  chase  each  other,  elongated 
like  trails  of  smoke,  and  the  south-east  wind,  as 
though  to  increase  the  horror  of  the  hour,  blows  in 
tempestuous  blasts,  wailing  among  the  gaunt  gum- 
trees  where  stands  the  house  of  tragedy. 

Night  approaches.     At  eleven  minutes  before  six 


S'-,    f.  ■ 


F 


■ 
W  if 


t'-'imi 


^hWfiWi»^'«Wi*..-",«-7-. .-,   •»?.* 


1      ..v 

m 


THE  LAST  MOMENTS  AND  THE  DEATH      301 

o'clock,  the  Emperor's  body  shivers  from  head  to 
foot,  his  lips  grow  moist  with  white  foam,  his  eyes 
turn  upwards  and  remain  wide  open.  The  room  in 
which  the  great  captain  has  just  expired  is  immedi- 
ately filled  with  shrieks,  with  lamentations,  and  with 
tears. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  AUTOPSY  AND  THE  FUNERAL. 

A  FEW  moments  after  this  closing  scene  of  the 
Saint  Helena  martyrdom,  Hudson  Lowe 
thought  it  befitting  and  chivalrous  to  say  to 
Major  Gorrequer  and  Dr.  Henry,  as  they  were  walking 
together  in  front  of  Plantation  House  conversing  on 
the  character  of  the  deceased,  "Well,  gentlemen,  he 
was  England's  greatest  enemy,  and  mine  too,  but  I 
forgive  him  everything.  On  the  death  of  a  great 
man  like  him,  we  should  only  feel  deep  concern  and 
regret." 

On  the  following  day,  the  6th  of  May,  the 
autospy  of  the  Emperor  revealed  the  terrible  havoc 
of  a  malady  in  which  the  magnanimous  Governor 
had  so  long  persisted  in  seeing  nothing  but  a  feint 
and  a  political  comedy. 

Napoleon's  stomach  was  perforated,  one  inch 
from  the  pylorus,  by  an  ulcer  sufficiently  large 
to  allow  the  passage  of  the  little  finger.  The 
internal  surface  of  the  viscus,  pitted  like  a  honey- 
comb with  cells  full  of  a  dark-coloured  pus,  proved 
a  mere  mass  of  cancerous  disease,  or  schirrous 
portions  advancing  to  cancer. 


THE  AUTOPSY  AND  THE  FUNERAL        303 

The  admissions  contained  in  the  official  report 
of  the  post-mortem  examination,  and  the  fuller, 
private  statement  of  Antommarchi,  lead  one  to 
suppose,  besides,  that  the  lungs  were  affected  with 
lesions.  Tubercles  and  adhesions  were  discovered 
in  them,  and  an  overflow  of  a  citrine-coloured  fluid 
in  the  sac  of  the  costal  pleura. 

The  heart,  although  somewhat  flabby,  pale,  and 
coated  with  fat,  was  sound  ;  and  the  kidneys  also,  it 
is  true  ;  but  the  bladder  contained  a  little  orravel. 

As  regards  the  liver,  there  arose  a  noteworthy 
divergence  of  opinion. 

It  was  very  important  to  determine  accurately 
the  state  of  this  organ,  as  Napoleon  had  so  long 
complained  of  hepatitis,  in  the  existence  of  which 
the  British  authorities  refused  to  believe. 

Five  English  physicians,  Drs.  Arnott,  Shortt, 
Mitchell,  Burton,  and  Livingstone,  seconded  by  Henry 
and  another  assistant-surgeon  called  Rutledge,  made 
the  post-mortem  examination  together  with  Antom- 
marchi. The  lugubrious  operation  took  place  in 
the  green-painted  and  crudely-lighted  topographical 
room  of  Longwood.  Adjutant-General  Sir  Thomas 
Reade,  Major  Harrison,  and  the  orderly  officer, 
Crokat,  the  successor  of  Captain  Lutyens,  represented 
the  Governor  ;  Marshal  Bertrand,  Count  de 
Montholon,  and  the  Abbé  Vignali,  the  French 
Colony.  Marchand,  Saint-Denis,  and  Pierron,  who 
had  brought  in  the  Emperor's  body  and  had  laid  it 
on  a  table  covered  with  a  sheet,  were  also  present. 


304  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

It  had  just  been  found  that  the  most  diseased 
portion  of  the  stomach  adhered  to  the  liver,  which 
stopped  up  the  perforation  near  the  pylorus  like  a 
plug.  This  circumstance  might  well,  as  some 
remark,  have  lengthened  rather  than  shortened 
Napoleon's  days,  by  preventing  the  discharge  of 
purulent  matter  into  the  cavity  of  the  abdomen. 
But  could  the  liver  render  such  a  service  without 
suffering  from  its  contact  with  an  ulcer  ? 

It  appeared  enlarged.  Dr.  Shortt,  the  principal 
medical  officer,  on  whom  devolved  the  responsibility 
of  affixing  the  first  signature  to  a  report  destined  to 
become  historical,  declared  it  to  be  so.  The  three 
delegates  of  Hudson  Lowe  were  greatly  annoyed  at 
this  opinion,  and  Sir  Thomas  Reade  immediately 
intervened  and  insisted  upon  further  examination. 
A  discussion,  which  Marshal  Bertrand,  Count  de 
Montholon,  the  Abbé  Vignali,  Marchand,  Saint- 
Denis,  and  Pierron  doubtless  thought  very  long, 
arose  round  the  gaping  chest  and  entrails  of 
Napoleon,  whilst  Antommarchi,  who  had  undertaken 
the  work  of  dissection,  took  up  the  imperial  liver, 
ripped  it  open,  slashed  it  with  his  scalpel,  in  short, 
handled  it  as  though  he  were  in  an  amphitheatre. 
Finally,  Dr.  Shortt  persisted  in  his  view,  but  the 
viscus  was  pronounced  sound  by  the  majority. 

It  may  perhaps  be  of  interest  to  add  to  these 
details  the  following  particulars,  of  a  different 
description,  noticed  by  Henry.  The  assistant- 
surgeon    states    that    Napoleon's    heart    seemed    re- 


THE  AUTOPSY  AND  THE  FUNERAL        305 

markably  small,  and,  he  adds  in  Latin,  Partes  viriles 
exiguitatis  insignis,  sicut  pueri,  videbantur.  Again  : 
"  There  was  something  of  feminine  delicacy  in  the 
roundness  of  the  arms  and  the  smallness  of  the 
hands  and  feet." 

After  the  autopsy  the  body  was  embalmed,  and 
then  dressed  in  the  srreen  uniform  with  red  collar 
and  cuffs  of  a  colonel  of  the  Chasseurs  à  cheval  de  la 
garde  ;  and  the  Emperor,  in  white  breeches,  booted 
and  spurred,  a  sword  at  his  side,  and  the  gold- 
embroidered  mantle  of  Marengo  spread  under  him, 
lay  in  state  for  twenty-four  hours  in  the  study 
preceding  his  habitual  bedroom.  The  apartment, 
draped  in  black,  and  ablaze  with  lighted  candles, 
formed  a  chapelle  ardente.  According  to  general 
testimony,  the  dead  was  supremely  imposing.  "  The 
beauty  of  his  delicate  Italian  features,"  says  Henry, 
"  was  of  the  highest  kind  ;  whilst  the  exquisite  serenity 
of  their  expression  was  in  the  most  striking  contrast 
with  the  recollection  of  his  great  actions,  impetuous 
character,  and  turbulent  life." — "  I  had  never  seen 
his  face  so  handsome,"  .  .  .  Major  Gorrequer 
records.  "All  the  superfluous  flesh  and  sallowness 
had  disappeared,  and  left  a  well-proportioned 
countenance,  such  as  he  might  have  had  some  twelve 
or  fourteen  years  ago.  A  dozen  of  those  who  saw 
him  concurred  in  saying  that  he  did  not  look  at  the 
utmost  more  than  forty,  and  he  certainly  did  not — 
even   less,    I    think.      His    hair    retained    its    natural 

dark    brown,    and    not   a    wrinkle    or    the   slightest 
20 


3o6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

contortion  was  on  the  face." — "  How  very  beautiful  !  " 
unanimously  exclaimed  the  English  soldiers  who 
beheld  Napoleon. 

On  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  May,  the  body 
was  placed  in  a  triple  coffin  of  tin,  of  lead,  and  of 
mahogany. 

The  Emperor  had  anticipated  that  the  British 
authorities  would  probably  not  permit  the  removal 
of  his  remains  to  Europe,  and  had  chosen  for  his 
burial-ground  at  Saint  Helena  a  spot  shaded  by 
two  willows,  near  a  spring  to  which  his  servants 
were  used  to  go  every  day  to  draw  clear  water  for 
his  table.  This  melancholy  site,  a  green  and  silent 
ravine  at  the  bottom  of  the  precipitous  Punch  Bowl, 
has  already  been  described,  and  is  now  known  as 
Geranium  Valley.  Napoleon  was  carried  there  on 
the  9th  of  May. 

The  funeral  car,  draped  in  violet  velvet,  was 
preceded  by  the  Abbé  Vignali  in  his  sacerdotal 
vestments  ;  Marshal  Bertrand,  Count  de  Montholon, 
and  the  whole  household  of  Longwood  followed 
behind.  After  them  came  Hudson  Lowe,  the 
Governor,  together  with  Admiral  Lambert,  Sir 
Robert  Plampin's  successor,  General  Coffin,  and  the 
Marquis  de  Montchenu.  The  population  of  the 
island,  a  crowd  not  over- reverent,  had  put  on  their 
gaudy  holiday  attire  to  see  the  procession  pass. 
The  garrison  paid  only  the  same  last  honours  to  the 
Emperor  as  to  an  English  officer  of  the  highest 
rank,  and,  as  Henry  remarks,  "  the  golden  letters  of 


THE   AUTOPSY   AND  THE  FUNERAL        307 

Minden,  and  Talavera,  and  A Ibucra,  and  the  Pyrenees, 
and  Orthes,  flaunted  over  the  body  from  the  colours, 
in  strange  mockery,  as  it  passed." 

Three  poor  salvoes  of  artillery  saluted  the 
greatest  warrior  as   he  was  lowered  into  the  grave. 

Hard  stone  being  scarce  at  Saint  Helena,  a  kind 
of  sarcophagus  had  been  constructed  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cavity,  with  six  large  slabs  taken  from  the 
platform  of  a  battery.  It  was  first  proposed  that  a 
seventh  should  be  placed  on  the  top  of  the  tomb,  but, 
on  reflection,  three  large  flag-stones,  which  paved 
the  kitchen  hearth  at  Longwood,  were  thought  suf- 
ficient to  answer  the  purpose. 

No  inscription  marked  the  burial  -  place,  as 
Hudson  Lowe  insisted  that  the  name  "  Bonaparte  " 
should  be  appended  to  the  simple  "  Napoleon  ' 
proposed  by  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de 
Montholon. 

All  manner  of  profanation  ensued.  The  wretched 
furniture  of  the  deceased,  priceless  to-day,  was  sold  ; 
his  books,  with  the  exception  of  those  bequeathed  to 
the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  and  a  few  more  taken  away 
by  the  Frenchmen,  were  sent  to  London  and 
dispersed  by  the  auctioneer  ;  and  the  empty  house 
of  Lonewood  became  once  more  what  it  had  been 
before,  but  should  never  have  been  again  :  a  stable. 

A  farmer  occupied  it.  He  installed  a  winnowing 
machine  in  the  apartment  where  Napoleon  had  died  ; 
in  the  imperial  study  and  bedroom  he  kept  horses, 
cows,  and  pigs. 


3o8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

It  seemed  as  though  all  that  British  vandalism 
thought  fit  to  retain  of  the  great  captive  was  his 
body.  A  guard  was  established  in  Geranium  Valley, 
and  sentinels  with  fixed  bayonets  relieved  each  other 
in  a  watch  over  it  that  never  ceased  until  the  15th 
of  October,  1840. 

On  that  day,  in  the  presence  of  Prince  de 
Joinville,  sent  by  King  Louis-Philippe,  and  of 
Marshal  Bertrand,  General  Gourgaud,  Baron  Em- 
manuel de  Las  Cases  and  Marchand,  who  had 
returned  to  Saint  Helena,  the  tomb  was  opened  ; 
England  at  last  consented  to  liberate  her  prisoner, 
and  restored  the  ashes  of  Napoleon  to  France. 
After  the  coffin  had  been  disinterred  and  placed  in 
an  ebony  sarcophagus,  over  which  was  spread  a 
mao-nificent  pall  embroidered  with  Imperial  crowns 
and  eagles,  it  slowly  descended  towards  Jamestown 
harbour,  on  a  hearse  drawn  by  four  horses  capar- 
isoned in  black  and  led  by  the  bridle,  to  the  sound  of 
funeral  dirges  and  to  the  muffled  rolling  of  drums. 
This  time,  the  honours  due  to  a  sovereign  were 
paid  to  Napoleon.  The  Governor,  Major-General 
Middlemore,  had  requested  the  inhabitants  to  dress 
in  mourning  ;  the  troops  which  lined  the  passage 
of  the  procession  held  their  arms  reversed,  and  the 
officers  commanding  them  wore  crape  on  their 
sleeves  ;  the  flags  of  the  forts  floated  half-mast 
high  ;  and  minute  guns  marked  the  progress  of  the 
mournful  but  triumphant  pageant. 

And    when   the   great    dead    reached    the    shore 


THE  AUTOPSY  AND  THE  FUNERAL        309 

where  the  French  frigate  which  was  to  bear  him 
from  the  island  of  exile  awaited  him  with  squared 
yards,  the  upper  and  lower  batteries  of  Jamestown 
boomed  for  the  last  time  in  homage  to  his  glory, 
as  they  would  have  boomed  for  Queen  Victoria. 

In  1 82 1,  England  had  thrown  General  Bonaparte 
into  a  nameless  grave,  beneath  three  stones  torn 
from  the  pavement  of  a  kitchen.  It  was  with  this 
pomp  and  respect,  that,  nineteen  years  later,  and  in 
noble  atonement,  she  solemnised  the  exhumation  of 

THE    EMPEROR   NAPOLEON. 


THE    END. 


NOTES 


Page  5.     Let  Mr.  Seaton  only  give  up  his  ready- 
insults  and  vague  generalities. 

The  following  is  the  passage  relating  to  the  author  in  Mr. 
Seaton's  book.  It  has  not  been  thought  worth  while  to  cite  it  in 
the  French  edition,  but  it  seems  necessary  to  set  it  before  the  eyes 
of  English  readers  for  their  appreciation. 

"  Another  recent  publication  dealing  with  a  part  of  the  Saint 
Helena  history  is  With  Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena,  by  M.  Paul 
Frémeaux,  which  contains  a  portion  of  the  diary  of  Mr.  John 
Stokoe,  the  surgeon  of  the  Conqueror.  Seeing  that  Mr.  Stokoe 
was  in  attendance  on  Napoleon  for  one  week  out  of  a  period  of 
five  and  a  half  years,  the  title  is  rather  pretentious  and  misleading. 
While  sympathizing  with  the  piety  of  Miss  Stokoe  in  her  desire  to 
vindicate  the  memory  of  her  great-uncle,  we  cannot  but  think  that 
her  mode  of  publication  is  unwise  and  her  choice  of  an  editor 
unfortunate.  Mr.  Stokoe's  diary  furnishes  material  for  one  or  two 
magazine  articles,  and  would  have  been  interesting  enough  if 
published  by  itself.  But,  as  it  is,  the  text  of  the  '  diary  '  is  swamped 
by  what  Lord  Rosebery  might  call  the  '  murky  compilation  '  of 
M.  Frémeaux.  No  slur  rests  on  the  memory  of  Stokoe.  He  was 
a  well-meaning  but  rather  weak  man,  and,  unfortunately  for  him, 
his  person  became  for  a  few  days  the  centre  round  which  the  storm 
raged  at  Saint  Helena.  A  little  cockboat  has  no  chance  among  iron- 
clads, and  Stokoe  naturally  suffered.  He  was  sent  home,  not  under 
arrest,  as  Mr.  Henry  states,  and  then  immediately  sent  back  to 
Saint  Helena  under  arrest  to  be  tried  by  court-martial  for  having 
violated  certain  standing  orders.  He  defended  himself  with 
eloquence  and  spirit,  but  was  found  guilty  and   sentenced  to  be 


312  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

dismissed,  though  subsequently  allowed  a  pension  on  account  of 
long  and  meritorious  service.  He  certainly  had  hard  measure  dealt 
out  to  him  both  by  the  authorities  at  home  and  at  Saint  Helena, 
but  there  does  not  appear  any  evidence  that  the  court-martial  was 
terrorized  by  the  Governor  and  the  Admiral  as  is  here  represented. 
Admiral  Plampin  does  not  come  well  out  of  the  affair,  but  there 
is  nothing  that  reflects  upon  Sir  Hudson  Lowe.  M.  Frémeaux's 
contribution — which  forms  the  larger  portion  of  the  book — is  not 
worth  criticizing,  as  his  ignorance  of  the  subject  is  so  complete. 
He  is  sufficiently  inept  to  place  as  a  motto  on  the  title-page  the 
saying  of  Napoleon  that  he  would  have  lived  to  eighty  years  if  they 
had  not  sent  him  to  that  island.  That  Napoleon  died  of  cancer  of 
the  stomach,  and  not  of  the  climate  of  Saint  Helena,  has  been 
generally  accepted  by  those  who  regard  facts  since  the  post-mortem 
examination  eighty-two  years  ago,  though  the  climate  theory  still 
forms  part  of  the  Napoleonic  legend.  M.  Frémeaux  lets  his  zeal 
run  away  with  him  when  he  suggests  that  there  was  an  'unholy 
compact  '  between  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  and  Admiral  Plampin  to  the 
effect  that,  if  the  Governor  would  let  the  Admiral  live  as  he  liked 
(he  had,  in  fact,  being  guilty  of  the  folly  of  bringing  a  mistress  with 
him),  the  Admiral  would  not  interfere  with  the  Governor's  treatment 
of  Napoleon  !  " 

The  author  of  this  volume  readily  agrees  with  Mr.  Seaton,  that 
With  Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena  is  rather  a  pretentious  and  mis- 
leading title  for  his  first  modest  production.  But  he  begs  to  state 
that  Stokoe's  papers  were  lent  to  him  by  Miss  Edith  Stokoe  on  the 
condition  that  she  should  have  the  right  of  reproducing  his  com- 
mentary on  them,  and  that  he  had  no  control  over  the  English 
edition.  For  having  drawn  more  than  one  or  two  magazine  articles 
out  of  the  same  papers,  he  is  personally  responsible  ;  may  be,  he 
was  wrong  to  try  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  substantial  book  to 
scanty  materials,  contrary  to  Mr.  Seaton's  method,  which  consists 
in  making  scanty  books  out  of  abundant  materials.  For  having 
placed  as  a  motto  on  a  title-page  the  saying  of  Napoleon  that  he 
would  have  lived  to  eighty  years  had  he  not  been  relegated  to  Saint 
Helena,  an  apology  is  hardly  necessary.  The  author  is  confident 
that  everybody  but  Mr.  Seaton  easily  understands  that  such  a  motto 
is  only  intended  to  impress  the  reader  with  the  bad  opinion 
Napoleon  had  of  the  place  of  his  exile,  and  with  the  idea  he 
harboured  that  his  life  would  be  shortened  by  captivity. 


NOTES  3 i 3 

As  for  the  rest  of  Mr.  Seaton's  assertions  and  his  abusive  terms, 
so  unbecoming  to  a  historian,  the  present  volume  will,  it  is  hoped, 
be  deemed  a  sufficient  answer. 

Page  6.  For  instance,  in  a  pamphlet  printed  at 
Chateauroux  in  1877,  now  extremely  rare,  a  servant 
of  General  Bertrand,  called  Bouges,  adds  somewhat 
to  our  knowledge  of  private  life  at  Longwood. 

This  pamphlet  is  entitled  :  Le  grand  maréchal  Bertrand,  par  le 
Dr.  Fauconneau-Dufresne.  It  is  an  account  given  verbally  to  Dr. 
Fauconneau  by  Bouges,  and  written  and  published  by  the  former. 

Page  9.  As  for  the  actual  facts  of  my  narrative, 
among  the  extremely  varied  publications  which  I 
have  consulted,  two  were  especially  useful  to  me  :  a 
book  and  a  pamphlet.  The  book  is  by  Dr.  Henry, 
like  Stokoe,  an  English  surgeon. 

Henry's  book,  as  is  explained  in  another  page  of  the  introduc- 
tion, first  appeared  anonymously  at  Quebec,  in  1839,  under  the 
title  :  Trifles  from  my  Portfolio  ;  or,  Recollections  of  Scenes  and  small 
Adventures,  during  Twenty-nine  Years  of  Military  Service,  by  a  Staff- 
Surgeon.  It  was  afterwards  published  in  London,  in  1843,  under 
the  title  of  Events  of  a  Military  Life  :  being  Recollections  after  Service 
in  the  Peninsular  War,  Lnvasion  of  France,  the  East  Lndies,  Saint 
Helena,  Canada,  and  elsewhere,  by  Walter  Henry,  Surgeon  of  the 
Forces,  first  class.  Between  the  two  editions  there  are,  in  relation  to 
Saint  Helena,  variations  in  the  text,  which,  if  slight,  are  not  unim- 
portant, for  they  chiefly  bear  on  what  Henry  says  of  Hudson  Lowe, 
Count  Balmain,  and  O'Meara. 

Page  9.  Hardly  had  Napoleon  left  Europe  when 
William  Warden  broke  the  silence  ordered  about 
his  name  by  publishing  his  Letters 

Letters  writte?i  on  board  His  Majesty's  ship  the  "  Northumberland," 
and  at  Saint  Helena  (London,  18 16). 

Numerous  editions  of  this  work  have  been  published,  both  in 
English  and  in  French. 


314  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Extremely  fanciful  as  far  as  the  conversations  of  the  author  with 
Napoleon  are  concerned,  it  is  nevertheless  most  interesting  as  a 
document,  on  account  of  the  details  it  contains  about  the  passage 
of  the  Emperor  on  board  the  Northumberland ',  his  first  habitation 
at  Saint  Helena,  The  Briars,  and  the  first  months  of  his  residence 
at  Longwood. 

Page   15.     Canada,  where  Henry  terminated  his 
career  and  rose  to  a  high  rank. 

To  the  rank  of  surgeon  of  the  forces,  first  class.  He  brought 
his  service  to  a  close  as  inspector-general  of  hospitals.  Yet  he  was 
only  one  of  those  medical  officers — very  numerous  at  that  period  in 
the  army  and  navy — to  whom  the  title  of  doctor  was  given  by  mere 
courtesy.  The  author  thought  well  to  maintain  this  title  when 
alluding  to  him  in  this  book,  and  similarly  in  the  case  of  O'Meara 
and  Stokoe.  All  three  deserved  it  for  their  medical  experience, 
and  needed  no  diplomas. 

Pagre  20.      It  was  called  The  Briars,  and  belonged 
to  a  merchant  named  Balcombe. 

Balcombe  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of  general  dealer  at  Saint 
Helena,  as  well  as  an  agent  for  the  East  India  Company.  He 
became  the  purveyor  of  Longwood,  and  catered  for  the  Emperor's 
household  during  the  years  181 6  and  181 7. 

Page  23.     People  were  greatly  surprised,  in  1843, 
when  Betsy  Balcombe  published  her  Recollections.  .  .  . 

Only  a  part  of  them  appeared  then,  in  the  New  Century 
Magazine.  Betsy  gave  a  complete  version  the  following  year  in  a 
volume  entitled  :  Recollections  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  during  the 
first  three  years  of  his  Captivity  on  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  in- 
cluding the  Time  of  his  Residence  at  her  Father's  House,  "  Briars,"  by 
Mrs.  Abell  (late  Miss  Elizabeth  Balcombe).  A  second  edition  of 
this  book,  which,  like  Warden's  work  and  the  generality  of  the 
chronicles  of  Saint  Helena,  mingles  a  little  romance  with  history, 
appeared  in  1853,  and  a  third  in  1873. 

Page  27.     On  that  side    Diana   Peak,  the  giant 
of    Saint    Helena,    rose    to    a    height    of    2700    feet. 


NOTES  3 i 5 

Mountain   ranges   radiated   from   it   in  all   directions 
towards  the  coast. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  radiations  start  from  the  range  to  which 
Diana  Peak  belongs  ;  but  as  Diana  Peak  occupies  the  middle  of  this 
range,  and  forms  its  culminating  point  and  most  conspicuous 
feature,  it  conveys  the  impression,  when  seen  from  Alarm-House,  of 
alone  being  the  orographical  centre  of  Saint  Helena. 

Page  28.  Six  barracks,  each  of  which  could  ac- 
commodate about  a  hundred  men,  housed  the  soldiers. 

The  battalion  with  which  Henry  had  come  from  India,  the  first 
battalion  of  the  66th,  composed  only  of  three  hundred  soldiers,  the 
staff,  and  the  band  of  the  regiment,  would  not  have  filled  these 
barracks  ;  but  it  had  been  reinforced  by  two  companies  of  the  2nd 
battalion,  which  was  already  at  Saint  Helena. 

The  troops  cantoned  at  Deadwood  Camp,  and  supplied  suc- 
cessively during  the  Captivity  by  the  53rd,  the  66th,  and  the  20th 
Regiments,  always  numbered  from  five  hundred  and  fifty  to  six 
hundred  men.  As  to  the  garrison  of  the  whole  island,  including  six 
hundred  native  militia,  it  comprised  a  little  over  two  thousand  men. 

Page  32.  The  house  had  formerly  been  a  farm, 
and  the  wood  flooring  covered  a  soil  still  impregnated 
with  the  manure  of  the  stables  ;  rats  swarmed  beneath 
the  half-rotten  boards. 

Dr.  Holland  Rose,  in  his  Life  of  Napoleoii  I.,  expresses  a  doubt 
as  to  the  quantity  of  these  unwelcome  guests  at  Longwood  :  "  If  the 
plague  of  rats  was  really  so  bad,"  he  asks,  "  why  is  it  that  Gourgaud 
made  so  little  of  it?"  Why?  Simply  because  in  all  probability 
this  cantankerous  memorialist  was  ever  too  busy  inveighing  against 
people  around  him  to  have  any  time  left  for  vituperating  animals. 
But  most  of  the  diaries  of  the  Captivity  teem  with  rats,  and  could 
easily  be  quoted  on  this  head.  Yet  even  so,  as  Dr.  Holland  Rose 
might  very  likely  still  contend  that  Napoleon  himself  introduced  the 
disgusting  vermin  into  the  place  of  his  exile  with  the  malignant 
purpose  of  acquiring  a  further  pretext  for  complaint,  it  is  better  to 
prove  by  the  aid  of  two  books — one  anterior  to  the  Emperor's 
detention,  the  other  published  long  after — that  rats  have  always 
evinced  a  partiality  for  Saint  Helena  as  a  residence,  and  have  at  all 


3i6  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

times  contrived  to  lead  a  merry  life  and  to  bring  up  large  families 
there:  "...  The  grounds,"  says  the  author  of  A  Description  of  the 
Island  of  Saint  Helena  (London,  R.  Phillips,  1805),  "seem  not  at 
all  adapted  to  the  culture  of  farinaceous  grains.  A  little  barley, 
indeed,  has  been  raised,  and  it  grows  well,  but  it  is  destroyed  by 
rats,  which  swarm  here  in  incredible  numbers,  as  do  the  caterpillars." 
"  Rats,"  states  Mr.  John  Charles  Melliss  in  Saint  Helena,  a  Physical, 
Historical,  and  Topographical  Description  of  the  Island  (London, 
Reeve  &  Co.,  1875), — "rats  abound  everywhere,  from  the  water- 
edge  to  the  mountain-top,  building  their  nests  either  in  holes  or  in 
high  trees,  just  as  rooks  and  crows  do  in  England.  .  .  ." 

Dr.  Holland  Rose  treats  his  subjects  too  superficially.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  point  out  all  the  venturesome  assertions  of  his 
Life  of  Napoleon  I,  but  in  that  part  of  the  work  alone  which  deals 
with  Saint  Helena  we  further  find  the  following  remark  :  "  That 
Napoleon  was  fastidious  to  the  last  is  proved  by  the  archives  of  our 
India  Office,  which  contains  the  entry,  December  nth,  1820  :  'The 
storekeeper  paid  in  the  sum  of  £10$  on  account  of  48  dozen 
of  champagne  rejected  by  General  Bonaparte'  (Sir  G.  Birdwood's 
reports  on  the  old  records  of  the  India  Office,  page  97)."  Now, 
how  can  Dr.  Holland  Rose  know  whether  Napoleon  was  right  or 
wrong  in  finding  fault  with  the  champagne  in  question  ?  Did  Dr. 
Holland  Rose  ever  taste  it?  Has  he  even  any  information  as  to  the 
brand  ?  Everybody  is  well  aware  that  there  are  all  sorts  of  cham- 
pagne, and,  in  particular,  a  detestable  kind  which  has  long  been 
fabricated  elsewhere  than  at  Epernay  and  Rheims,  and  is  put  into 
bottles  with  necks  enveloped  in  deceptive  silver  paper  for  export  to 
the  Colonies.  Moreover,  if  Dr.  Holland  Rose  were  to  pay  a  visit 
to  the  India  Office,  instead  of  resting  content  with  the  acquaint- 
ance he  has  obtained  of  its  records  from  Sir  George  Birdwood's 
meagre  extracts,  he  would  learn  that  the  public  storehouses  at  Saint 
Helena  were  somewhat  badly  managed  during  the  Captivity.  He 
would  discover  a  decision  of  the  Council  of  the  island,  dated  May 
29th,  18 1 7,  which  runs  thus: — 

"Resolved  that  Mr.  De  Fountain  be  called  upon  to  make 
good  the  deficiency  of  the  value  of  stores  to  the  amount  of 
^3375>  I9S-  nd.  ;  that  the  Governor  and  Council  further  are  of 
opinion  that  the  continuance  of  Mr.  De  Fountain  in  the  office  of 
storekeeper  is  not  attended  with  sufficient  pledge  against  a  preven- 
tion of  similar  defalcation  to  those  that  have  already  been  the  subject 


NOTES  3 1 7 

of  investigation,  and  that  he  should  cease  his  functions  in  con- 
sequence at  the  close  of  the  year  of  account,  unless  the  Honourable 
Court  of  Directors  should  please  to  signify  their  intentions  to  the 
contrary  ; 

"  Resolved  that,  to  mark  the  sense  of  the  Governor  and  Council 
of  the  great  inattention  manifested  by  the  Deputy  Storekeeper  and 
junior  officers  of  the  Store  Department  who  were  acting  under  his 
immediate  direction,  Mr.  Blenkins  shall  be  removed  from  the  office 
of  Deputy  Storekeeper,  and  that  Messrs.  Lambe  and  Seale  shall  be 
severely  reprimanded  and  admonished. 

"  Mr.  Blenkins  is  also  to  refund  to  Count  Montholon  the  sum  of 
.£10,  1 8s.,  that  being  the  surcharge  of  four  pair  of  epaulets  which 
were  sold  for  ,£32,  and  brought  to  account  at  only  ^5,  5s.  6d.  per 
pair  .  .  ."  (Saint  Hele?ia,  vol.  lxxxiii,  fol.  210). 

It  is  seen  here,  among  other  things,  that  the  officers  of  the  Store 
Department  did  not  disdain  to  make  unlawful  profits  from  the  French 
exiles. 

In  volume  lxxxv,  fol.  471,  Dr.  Holland  Rose  will  further  find 
this  entry,  dated  November  30th,  1820: — 

"  The  storekeeper  having  reported  that  he  had  collected  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  flour  that  has  fallen  from  the  casks  in  the 
different  cellars,  as  also  that  hams  have  been  returned  from  Long- 
wood  establishment  as  unfit  for  use,  he  was  directed  to  sell  both  the 
above  articles  at  public  auction,  taking  care  to  give  due  notice  to 
the  inhabitants." 

Again,  in  the  same  volume  (fols.  439-440),  Dr.  Holland  Rose  will 
come  across  the  following  lines,  written  on  the  9th  of  November, 
1820,  by  Captain  Sampson,  Major  Cole,  and  W.  Janish  to  Thomas 
Brook,  secretary  of  the  Saint  Helena  Council  : — 

"  We  have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter 
of  the  6th  inst.,  and  beg  to  report  to  you  that  in  pursuance  of  the 
directions  therein  contained,  we  have  inspected  such  pipes  of  wine 
as  have  been  shown  to  us  by  the  storekeeper,  and  that  we  found 
eight  pipes  and  seven  half  pipes  bad,  and  unfit  to  be  issued  to  the 
troops. 

"  We  beg  to  remark  at  the  same  time  that  it  appears  to  us  the 
wine  contained  in  the  above  number  of  pipes  (that  in  the  half  pipes 
excepted)  was  of  a  good  quality  originally,  but  spoiled  in  conse- 
quence of  the  pipes  not  being  properly  cleaned  before  the  wine  was 
put  into  them,  and  wish  to  draw  your  attention  to  that  point. 


3i8  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  We  deem  it  necessary  also  to  observe  to  you  that,  although 
great  part  of  the  wine  was  such  that  we  could  not  well  condemn  it, 
it  being  fit  for  immediate  use,  we  still  are  under  the  impression  that 
a  great  many  of  the  pipes  if  chemically  examined  would  prove  to 
contain  unwholesome  and  pernicious  wine." 

Although  one  of  those  historians  who,  while  caring  little  for  the 
niceties  of  style  and  the  literary  aim,  never  miss  an  opportunity  of 
displaying  their  documentary  knowledge,  and  though  all  his  publica- 
tions swarm  at  the  bottom  of  the  pages  with  notes  hardly  less 
numerous  than  the  rats  beneath  the  floors  at  Longwood,  not  only 
does  Dr.  Holland  Rose  omit  to  search  the  archives  assiduously 
enough,  but  he  neglects  to  read  carefully  such  books  as  are  his 
principal  authorities.  For  instance,  to  confine  ourselves  still  to  the 
part  of  his  Life  of  Napoleon  I.  that  concerns  the  Captivity,  there  is  a 
work  which  he  quotes  complacently  and  should  peruse  again  :  Notes 
and  Reminiscences  of  a  Staff  Officer,  chiefly  relating  to  the  Waterloo 
Campaign  and  Saint  ffelejia  matters  (London,  Harrison  &  Sons, 
1877).  It  is  said  of  the  author,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Basil  Jackson, 
in  the  Dictmiary  of  National  Biography,  that  he  is  so  partial  to 
Lowe  because  he  was  his  kinsman.  This  assertion  once  gave  rise 
to  discussion,  and  was  acknowledged  to  be  erroneous.  Dr.  Holland 
Rose  rejoiced  thereat,  but,  unfortunately,  would  not  rest  satisfied 
with  so  strong  a  point.  He  wished  it  to  be  further  demonstrated 
that  Jackson  and  Lowe  were  quite  ignorant  of  each  other's  existence 
until  they  met,  by  the  most  extraordinary  of  chances,  on  a  little 
island  in  the  southern  hemisphere.  And  so  it  occurred  to  him  one 
fine  day  to  interview  Miss  Lowe  about  it,  and  ask  for  her  testimony. 
The  late  Miss  C.  M.  S.  Lowe,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  was 
then,  in  1902,  eighty-four  years  of  age.  Even  supposing  she  had 
fully  retained  her  memory,  her  recollections  of  the  Captivity  or  any- 
thing connected  with  it  could  not  fail  to  be  very  slight,  for  she  was 
only  just  born  at  Saint  Helena  (18 18)  when  Napoleon  died  there 
(1821).  Moreover,  it  is  not  usual  to  make  historical  researches  at 
houses  of  respectable  but  doting  old  ladies.  Yet  Dr.  Holland  Rose 
thought  his  idea  a  brilliant  one,  and  persisted  in  it.  He  called  on 
Miss  Lowe.  The  result,  as  might  well  be  expected,  was  ludicrous 
in  the  extreme.  Colonel  Basil  Jackson  relates  in  his  Notes  and 
Réminiscences  (page  7),  that  in  18 14  he  was  at  Brussels  with  Sir 
Hudson  Lowe,  then  quartermaster-general  there,  and  even  that  at 
that  period — two  years  before  they  both  went  to  Saint  Helena — he 


NOTES  319 

acted  occasionally  as  aide-de-camp  to  him.  Here,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  the  information  which  Dr.  Holland  Rose  was  so  clever  as 
to  obtain  from  another  source  :  "  Miss  Lowe,"  he  says  gravely,  and 
without  a  suspicion  that  he  is  contradicting  the  Colonel's  reliable 
statement, — "Miss  Lowe  assured  me  that  Jackson  did  not  see  her 
father  before  the  Saint  Helena  days." 

Page  41.  Pierron,  the  butler  at  Longwood,  has 
left  an  account-book  which  has  been  published. 

In  a  volume  that  appeared  recently  :  Les  indiscretions  de 
l'Histoire,  du  docteur  Cabanes,  quatrième  série  (Paris,  Albin 
Michel,  1907).  Some  newspapers  had  previously  given  a  few 
extracts  from  the  same  account-book. 

Page  55-  A  recent  publication,  the  diary  which 
relates  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm's  stay  at  Saint  Helena, 
supplies  a  particularly  striking  proof  of  this. 

This  diary,  A  Diary  of  Saint  Helena,  edited  by  Sir  Arthur 
Wilson  (London,  A.  D.  Innes,  1899),  is  the  production  of  Lady 
Malcolm,  the  Admiral's  wife. 

Page  78.  His  dress  was  that  of  a  general  of 
French  infantry  when  it  formed  a  part  of  his  army. 
The  coat  was  green,  faced  with  white  ;  the  rest  was 
white,  with  white  silk  stockings. 

Warden  is  doubly  mistaken  here.  The  coat  worn  by  Napoleon 
when  he  embarked  on  board  the  Northumberland  was  that  of  a 
colonel,  blue,  with  white  facings  :  the  coat  of  the  Grenadiers  à  pied, 
or — as  is  less  probable — that  of  the  Garde  Nationale,  quite  similar 
but  for  the  buttons.  On  leaving  Europe,  the  Emperor  took  with 
him  only  five  military  coats  :  two  of  a  colonel  of  Chasseurs  à  cheval 
de  la  garde,  green,  with  red  collar  and  cuffs  ;  two  of  a  colonel  of 
Grenadiers  à  pied,  and  one  of  a  colonel  of  the  Garde  Nationale, 
blue,  with  white  facings.  The  last  is  now  the  property  of  Prince 
Victor. 

Page  86.  In  all,  nine  people,  of  whom  three 
have  related  their  impressions  :  Henry  Ellis,  the 
naval  surgeon,  MacLeod,  and  Dr.  Abel. 


320  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

The  account  given  by  Ellis  has  appeared  in  three  publications  : 
the  Morning  Chronicle  of  October  7th,  181 7;  the  Journal  of  the 
Proceedings  of  the  late  Embassy  to  China,  by  Henry  Ellis  (London, 
1817);  and  the  Life  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  by  Walter  Scott. 
Scott  gives  the  longest  and  most  interesting  version. 

Page  94.  The  impressions  of  Ellis,  MacLeod, 
and  Abel,  relating  to  Napoleon,  lead  naturally  to  the 
record — connected  with  them  by  the  circumstances  of 
its  origin — that  Captain  Basil  Hall  has  left  of  his 
visit  to  Longwood. 

In  a  book  entitled,  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  Java,  China,  and 
the  great  Loo-Choo  Island  (London,  1844).  A  version  of  the  same 
record  had  previously  appeared  in  the  Mémoires  et  Voyages  du 
capitaine  Basil  Hall  (Paris,  1834),  and  still  earlier,  in  1827,  in  the 
Life  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  by  Walter  Scott,  to  whom  Basil  Hall 
communicated  his  journal. 

Page  106.  Being  tall  themselves,  as  a  rule,  they 
were  inclined  to  regard  him  as  very  short,  although 
his  height  was  about  5  feet  6  inches. 

Dr.  Antommarchi,  who  measured  Napoleon  on  his  death-bed, 
assigns  5  pieds,  4  pouces,  4  lignes  to  the  body  :  viz.,  about  5  ft. 
6£  in.  But  it  is  better  to  judge  by  another  measurement,  taken  at 
Saint  Helena  in  the  Emperor's  lifetime. 

Henry,  who  occasionally  called  on  Madame  Bertrand,  relates 
in  his  book  :  "  One  day,  after  a  long  causerie,  when  in  particularly 
good  humour,  she  said,  '  Come  here,  doctor,  come  here,  I  am 
going  to  pay  you  the  highest  possible  compliment  ;  I  shall  measure 
your  height  by  the  standard  of  the  Emperor's  stature.'  So  saying, 
she  led  me  to  a  white  door,  and  pointed  out  two  pencil  lines,  one 
of  which  she  had  drawn  as  the  height  of  Napoleon  when  he  stood 
with  his  back  to  the  door,  and  the  other  he  had  made  when  she 
took  his  place.  It  was  a  comfort  when  considering  the  immense 
disproportion  of  our  intellectual  stature,  to  know  that  I  beat  him 
by  two  inches  in  the  physical.  Madame  Bertrand,  who  was  very 
tall,  also  beat  him  by  an  inch.  The  Countess  playfully  remarked, 
when  pencilling   my  height    a   little   above  the   other  two  marks, 


NOTES  321 

'There,  doctor,  yours  is  a  proud  position,  standing  above  the 
tallest  lady  in  the  island,  and  the  greatest  man  in  the  world.'  Of 
course  my  reply  could  only  be,  that  my  enviable  position  was  due 
to  the  kind  condescension  of  the  finest  woman  either  in  one  or  the 
other." 

It  does  not  occur  to  Henry  to  give  the  figures  inscribed  on  the 
white  door,  but  they  are  to  be  found  in  the  Récits  by  Count  de 
Montholon,  and  in  Gourgaud's  fourna/. 

"  The  Emperor,"  says  Count  de  Montholon,  under  date  of  August 
22nd,  18 1 7,  "walked  towards  General  Bertrand's  house,  which  he 
entered  to  take  a  moment's  rest.  To  while  away  the  time,  he  had 
himself  and  all  of  us  measured. — The  Emperor,  5  pieds,  2  pouces  in 
his  pumps  ;  Madame  Bertrand,  5  pieds,  4  pouces,  5  lignes  ;  General 
Bertrand,  5  pieds,  4  polices;  General  Gourgaud,  5  pieds,  4  pouces, 
9  lignes  ;  myself,  5  pieds,  3  pouces,  3  lignes." — "  We  all  measured 
ourselves  on  the  door,"  says  Gourgaud,  at  the  same  date,  the  22nd 
of  August,  18 17.  "The  Emperor  is  5  pieds,  2  pouces;  Madame 
Bertrand,  5  pieds,  4  pouces,  5  lignes  ;  myself,  4  lignes  more,  but  in 
my  boots  ;  Bertrand  4  lignes  less." 

If  we  reduce  these  old  French  measures  to  their  English 
equivalents,  we  see  that  the  Emperor's  height  in  his  pumps  was 
5  ft.  6Ty  in.  We  learn  at  the  same  time  that  General  Gourgaud 
measured  5  ft.  8T9o  in.  in  his  boots  ;  Madame  Bertrand,  5  ft.  8^  in.  ; 
General  Bertrand,  5  ft.  8T^  in.  ;  and  Count  de  Montholon,  5  ft.  7J 
in.  As  for  Henry,  he  boasts  :  if  he  was  but  two  inches  taller 
than  the  Emperor  he  could  be  only  from  5  ft.  7TTn  in.  to  5  ft.  8^  in., 
and,  therefore,  was  smaller  than  Madame  Bertrand. 

Page  126.  What  a  change  to  be  transferred  to  a 
little  lonely  island,  ten  miles  in  length  and  seven  in 
breadth,  poor,  gloomy,  and  barely  inhabited  ! 

According  to  two  books,  A  History  0/  the  Istand  of  Saifit  Helena, 
by  T.  H.Brooke  (London,  1808),  and  Tracts  relative  to  the  Island  of 
Saifit  Helena,  by  Major-General  Alexander  Beatson  (London,  1816), 
the  population  of  Saint  Helena  shortly  before  the  Captivity  was 
about  2100,  of  which  number  600  were  whites,  11 00  blacks,  and 
400  Chinese  or  Lascars.  Over  and  above  this,  a  garrison  of  500 
men  existed.  According  to  a  third  book,  A  Tour  through  the  Island 
of  Saint  Helena,  by  Captain  Barnes  (London,  181 7),  the  population 
in  September,   1815,  was  reckoned   at    2871,  and  comprised  776 


322  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

whites,  1255  blacks,  and  800  Chinese  or  Lascars.  To  this 
number,  1400  to  1500  English  troopers  must  be  added  for  the 
period  181 5  to  182 1. 

Page  140.  The  former  Treasurer  of  Mauritius 
appeared  before  a  tribunal,  and  was  condemned  at 
civil  law  to  refund  the  seventy-two  thousand  dollars, 
but  acquitted  on  the  criminal  charge. 

Henry  says  that  the  embezzlement  of  which  Hook  was  accused 
had  not,  it  was  believed,  been  committed  by  him,  but  by  one  of  his 
clerks.  However  that  may  be,  the  man  did  not  show  himself  over 
scrupulous,  for,  as  the  Dictionary  of  National  Biography  remarks, 
"Though  for  many  years  receiving  an  ample  income  from  his  pen, 
he  never  attempted  to  discharge  any  portion  of  his  admitted 
liability.  .  .  ." 

Page  151.  For  two  years,  a  diplomat,  whose 
likeness  is  not  to  be  found  in  Henry's  caricature, 
courts  Miss  Johnson.  Being  greatly  enamoured  of 
the  young  lady,  his  keenest  desire,  for  the  success 
of  his  enterprise,  is  to  live  on  good  terms  with  her 
stepfather,  Sir  Hudson  Lowe.  He  makes  every 
effort  to  do  so,  but  cannot  attain  his  object,  so  that 
hardly  for  an  instant  does  his  correspondence  cease 
to  be  unfavourable  to  the  impossible  official  to  whom 
he  is  to  be  allied. 

See  Le  prisonnier  de  Sainte-Hélène,  d'après  les  rapports  officiels 
du  gouverneme?it  russe  (18 16-1820),  Revue  Bleue  du  8  mai  au 
1 2  juin  1897. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  18 19,  Count  Balmain  writes  to  Count 
Nesselrode  at  Saint  Petersburg  : 

"  In  conversation  with  the  Governor,  I  asked  him  whether  he 
intended  to  obey  his  instructions  and  at  last  remove  the  impene- 
trable barrier  of  Longwood.  He  replied  with  some  hesitation, 
'  That  the  French  had  not  yet  drawn  up  the  list  of  the  inhabitants 
who  were  to  form  their  society.'  Now  this  list  was  drawn  up  last 
June,  and  is  headed  by  M.  de  Montchenu,  de  Gors  and  myself. 
He  further  stated,  '  That,  far  from  opposing  such  innocent  meetings 


NOTES  323 

and  pleasures,  and  especially  the  visits  which  persons  of  distinction 
might  wish  to  pay  General  Bonaparte,  he  persistently  urged  them  to 
call  at  Longwood,  and  had  no  intention  or  desire  to  isolate  the 
people  there.'  His  conduct  towards  Admiral  Malcolm  and  the 
Commissioners  of  the  allied  powers,  who  rank  among  the  said 
persons  and  have  a  right  to  his  confidence,  is  in  contradiction  with 
such  an  assertion. 

"  '  I  have  been  assured,'  I  told  him,  'that  you  had  forbidden  the 
officers  of  the  66th  to  hold  conversations  with  Madame  Bertrand, 
and  that  they  avoided  meeting  her  as  far  as  possible.' 

"  '  No  !  '  he  exclaimed,  '  it  is  untrue,  it  is  a  calumny  !  The  officers 
would  not  dare  be  so  rude  either  to  her  or  to  her  husband.' 

"  Yet  for  twenty-six  months  he  has  been  incessantly  cavilling 
about  our  chance  and  quite  insignificant  meetings.  The  other  day 
he  besought  me  on  his  knees  neither  to  see  them  nor  to  speak  to 
them.  What  is  one  to  think  of  such  behaviour?  What  folly  to 
consent  to  a  thing  and  to  oppose  it  at  the  same  time  !  " 

In  another  letter,  dated  April  22nd,  1819,  Count  Balmain  informs 
Count  Nesselrode  : — 

"  One  day,  when  he  was  in  a  great  state  of  agitation,  he  told 
M.  de  Montchenu  that  I  was  a  Bonapartist,  and  that  every  one  at 
Saint  Helena  ought  to  be  ultra-Royalist.  .  .  . 

"  In  one  of  his  notes,  the  Governor  maintains  that  the  various 
complaints  of  Bertrand  and  the  other  Frenchmen  are  calumnies. 
In  my  opinion  they  are  not  so,  for  nothing  could  be  more  absurd, 
more  impolitic,  and  less  generous  than  the  treatment  of  Napoleon 
by  the  English." 

Page  151.  Is  it  not  amazing  that  Count  Balmain, 
on  the  point  of  entering  the  Governor's  family,  should 
be  obliged  to  criticise,  to  blame  his  actions,  just  like 
Baron  Sturmer,  whose  orders  directed  him  to  remain 
in  constant  agreement  with  Plantation,  and  like  the 
Marquis  de  Montchenu,  a  man  of  meagre  intelligence, 
no  doubt,  but  a  fervent  Legitimist,  a  representative  of 
a  form  of  government  and  of  a  king  pre-eminently 
hostile  to  Bonaparte  ? 

See  Baron  von  Sturmer,  Berichte  aies  Saint  Helena  zur  zeit  des 
dortigen    internierung    Napoleon    Buonaparte's,    herausgegeben    von 


324  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Hanns  Schlitter  (Wien,  Gerold,  1886).     See  La  captivité  de  Sainte 
Hélène,  d'après  les  rapports  inédits  du  marquis  de  Montchenu,  par 
Georges  Firmin-Didot  (Paris,  Firmin-Didot,  1894). 

Yet  on  their  arrival  at  Saint  Helena  the  Commissioners  were 
quite  disposed  to  be  on  good  terms  with  Hudson  Lowe.  The 
Marquis  de  Montchenu,  especially,  was  so  much  so,  that  he  requested 
the  Duc  de  Richelieu  to  confer  on  the  Governor  the  order  of 
Commandeur  du  Mérite  Militaire  !  He  repeated  this  request  to  the 
French  Minister  of  War  in  a  curious  letter  which  has  been  published 
in  the  Gil  Bias  of  July  9th,  1907,  by  M.  Jean  de  Mitty. 

Page  152.  Unfortunately,  as  has  already  been 
said,  the  Emperor  refused  to  receive  them. 

In  their  official  capacity,  but  Napoleon  was  willing  to  keep  up 
private  relations  with  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  Baron  Sturmer, 
and  Count  Balmain.  One  day,  when  the  three  Commissioners  had 
come  on  an  excursion  to  a  valley  near  Longwood,  he  sent  his 
servants  to  them  with  a  collation  ;  another  day  he  even  invited 
them  to  dinner,  but  they  thought  they  could  not  enter  his  house 
unofficially,  and  begged  to  be  excused. 

Page  157.  In  the  morning,  as  far  as  possible,  he 
prolonged  his  slumbers. 

The  author  thinks  it  as  well  to  point  out  that  in  describing,  in 
the  pages  that  follow,  the  Emperor's  days  at  Saint  Helena,  he  has 
only  attempted  to  give  an  idea  of  his  most  ordinary  and  habitual 
days,  and  especially  those  of  the  years  181 7  and  18 18.  Napoleon's 
mode  of  life  naturally  varied  somewhat  during  the  six  years  of  the 
Captivity.  On  his  arrival  at  the  island,  for  instance,  the  Emperor 
generally  rose  early.  The  dinner-hour — to  mention  another  example 
— was  frequently  changed  at  Longwood  ;  it  was  appointed  by  turn 
at  eight,  seven,  and  six  o'clock,  and  even  four,  three,  and  two 
o'clock. 

Again,  as  regards  the  description  of  Napoleon's  apartment,  and 
still  for  the  sake  of  rapidity  and  clearness,  it  has  not  been  thought 
possible  to  take  into  account  a  few  unimportant  modifications  in  the 
furniture  and  its  arrangement,  which  appear  to  have  been  made  at 
various  periods. 


NOTES  325 

Page  157.  Then  he  rang  for  Marchand,  and 
asked  that  faithful  valet,  who  had  served  him  since 
181 1,  and  had  already  followed  him  to  the  Island 
of  Elba.  .  .  . 

The  majority  of  Napoleon's  French  servants  at  Saint  Helena, 
Rousseau,  Santini,  Cipriani,  Pierron,  Noverraz,  Saint -Denis, 
Gentilini,  and  the  Archambault  brothers,  were  also  in  the  Em- 
peror's service  before  the  Captivity. 

Page  163.  It  (the  library)  was  only  used  as  a 
warehouse  for  about  a  thousand  volumes  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Captivity,  for  three  thousand  to 
three  thousand  five  hundred  at  the  end. 

See,  on  this  subject,  two  pamphlets  :  La  bibliothèque  de  Napol'eun 
à  Sainte-Hélène,  par  Victor  Advielle  (Paris,  Lechevalier,  1894),  and 
Les  bibliothèques  particulières  de  V Empereur  Napoléon,  par  Antoine 
Guillois  (Paris,  Henri  Leclerc,  1900).  See  also  the  preface  of  the 
Mémoires  de  Fleury  de  Chaboulon,  publiés  par  Lucien  Comet  (Paris, 
Edouard  Rouveyre,  1901). 

According  to  certain  English  documents,  the  number  of  volumes 
at  Longwood  at  Napoleon's  death  amounted  exactly  to  2700. 
But,  to  judge  by  a  passage  of  Forsyth,  this  figure  would  appear  to 
be  inferior  to  the  reality,  and,  perhaps,  the  400  volumes  bequeathed 
by  the  Emperor  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  were  not  included  in  it, 
as  also  those  which  Marshal  Bertrand  and  Count  de  Montholon 
were  able  to  carry  away  with  them  on  their  departure  from  Saint 
Helena. 

Page  164.  There  are,  however,  works — among 
others  a  book  by  Fleury  de  Chaboulon  —  that  he 
thought  fit  to  annotate  completely,  covering  them 
with  copious  commentaries  and  refutations  in  his 
hieroglyphical  hand. 

The  book  by  Fleury  de  Chaboulon  deals  with  the  private  life, 
the  return,  and  the  reign  of  Napoleon  in  18 15.  The  copy  annotated 
by  the  Emperor  is  now  in  the  museum  of  Sens,  together  with  other 
relics  of  Saint  Helena. 


326  THE  DRAMA   OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Page  1 66.  Such  as  it  is,  the  work  is  yet  con- 
siderable, and  fills  six  large  volumes,  which  were 
published  in  1867.  Its  magnitude  alone  would  do 
credit  to  a  professional  writer. 

The  six  volumes  are  the  Commentaires  de  Napoleon  Ier  (Paris, 
imprimerie  Impériale),  commentaries  which  also  form  volumes  xxix, 
xxx,  xxxi,  and  xxxii  of  the  Correspondance  de  Napoléon  Ier,  publiée 
par  ordre  de  V Empereur  Napoléon  m.  (Paris,  imprimerie  Nationale, 
1858-1859). 

The  literary  work  of  Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena  has  been 
studied  thoroughly,  although  chiefly  to  sustain  a  very  questionable 
thesis,  by  M.  Philippe  Gonnard,  professor  at  the  Lycée  of  Lyon,  in 
a  recent  book,  Les  origines  de  la  légende  napoléonienne  (Paris, 
Calmann-Levy,  1907).  We  are  also  indebted  to  M.  Gonnard  for 
two  excellent  productions  :  Un  Lyonnais  à  Sainte  Hélène  (Lyon,  Rey 
et  Cie.,  1903) — a  pamphlet  relating  to  Jean-Claude  Gors,  secretary 
to  the  Marquis  de  Montchenu  ;  and  Leit?'es  du  comte  et  de  la  comtesse 
de  Montholon,  1819-1821  (Paris,  Alphonse  Picard  et  fils,  1906). 

Page  186.  His  son  was  ever  present  in  his 
thoughts. 

The  fact  is  shown  by  M.  Frédéric  Masson  in  Napoléon  et  son  fils 
better  than  it  is,  or  could  have  been,  in  this  volume. 

Page   197.       On    leaving    Longwood,    Gourgaud 

stated  :    "His   Majesty  need  never  fear  that   I  shall 

report  what    takes    place   here."     He   did    not   keep 

his  word.      In   London,  still   irritated  and   bitter,  he 

made  to   Henry  Goulburn,  Under-Secretary  of  State, 

the  most  scandalous  revelations  :  a  mixture  of  truths 

that  he  should  have  left  untold  and  of  falsehoods  for 

which  he  should  have  blushed. 

Gourgaud  had  begun  already  at  Saint  Helena  to  give  out  this 
mixture  of  truth  that  should  have  been  left  hidden,  and  of  lies  that 
he  ought  never  to  have  invented.  Shortly  before  leaving  the  island, 
he  told  Hudson  Lowe  that  Napoleon  had  no  difficulty  in  communicat- 
ing clandestinely  with  Europe  ;  that  a  large  sum  of  money  had  been 


NOTES  327 

received  at  Longwood  at  the  very  moment  that  the  plate  was  broken 
up  there  in  order  to  simulate  straitened  circumstances.  He 
commended  Bertrand  to  the  Governor  as  "  the  greatest  dissembler 
and  liar  in  France;  and  withal  so  blindly  devoted  to  Napoleon, 
that  the  Emperor  could  make  him  believe  that  black  was  white." 
Gourgaud  further  revealed  to  Major  Gorrequer  that  Captain 
Poppleton,  Captain  Blakeney's  predecessor,  had  accepted  a  gold 
snuff-box  from  Napoleon  on  quitting  his  functions  as  orderly  officer 
at  Longwood.  In  a  conversation  with  Baron  Sturmer,  on  being 
asked  whether  the  Emperor  could  escape  from  Saint  Helena,  he 
replied  :  "  He  has  had  numerous  opportunities,  and  could  still  do  so 
at  the  present  moment.  Is  anything  impossible  with  millions  at 
one's  disposal  ?  He  can  leave  the  island  and  go  to  America  when- 
ever it  pleases  him."  "  If  so,"  the  Austrian  Commissioner  remarked, 
"  why  does  he  remain  ?  The  great  point  is  to  be  out  of  this  place." 
"  We  have  all  advised  him  to  flee,  but  he  has  never  failed  to 
oppose  our  arguments  and  resist  them.  However  unhappy  he  may 
be  here,  he  secretly  enjoys  the  importance  attached  to  his  custody, 
the  interest  that  all  the  European  powers  take  in  it,  and  the  care 
with  which  they  collect  his  every  word."  Baron  Sturmer  states  in 
one  of  his  reports  to  Prince  Metternich,  that  he  also  sounded 
Gourgaud  as  to  Napoleon's  health:  "He  will  outlive  us  all,"  he 
answered.  "He  has  an  iron  constitution."  When  the  Austrian 
Commissioner  further  questioned  him  about  the  swelling  of  the 
Emperor's  limbs:  "That  dates  from  Moscow,"  Gourgaud  said,  "and 
his  insomnia  too.  As  long  as  I  have  known  him,  he  never  could 
sleep  for  several  hours  at  a  stretch.  As  for  the  pain  in  his  side,  no 
one  has  ever  been  able  to  discover  what  is  the  matter."  Lastly, 
Gourgaud  entrusted  Count  Balmain  with  this  threatening  message 
for  the  Grand  Marshal  :  "  Remind  Bertrand  that  I  am  in  a  position 
to  make  it  very  unpleasant  for  the  Emperor  by  revealing  his  secrets  ; 
that  my  journal  of  Longwood  is  worth  twelve  thousand  pounds  in 
London  ;  and  that  he  had  better  not  drive  me  to  extremities." 

Let  us  now  see  the  confidences  which  Gourgaud  made  to  Henry 
Goulburn  on  his  arrival  in  England.  They  are  recorded  in  the 
following  letter,  written  by  the  Under-Secretary  to  the  Colonial 
Minister,  Lord  Bathurst  : — 

"Downing  Street,  May  10,  1818. 

"  My  Lord,  —  In  obedience  to  your  directions,  I  have  had 
several  conversations  with  General  Gourgaud,  for  the  purpose  of 


328  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

ascertaining  whether  he  was  disposed  to  afford  any  further  details 
upon  the  several  points  adverted  to  in  Sir  Hudson  Lowe's  more 
recent  despatches.  The  information  which  I  have  received  from 
him,  although  given  in  considerable  detail,  is  in  substance  as 
follows  : — 

"  General  Gourgaud  had  no  difficulty  in  avowing  that  there  has 
always  existed  a  free  and  uninterrupted  communication  between  the 
inhabitants  of  Longwood  and  this  country  and  the  Continent,  with- 
out the  knowledge  or  intervention  of  the  Governor,  and  that  this 
has  been  made  use  of,  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  and 
transmitting  letters,  but  for  that  of  receiving  pamphlets,  money,  and 
other  articles  of  which  the  party  at  Longwood  might  from  time  to 
time  be  in  want  ;  that  the  correspondence  has  for  some  time  been 
carried  on  direct  with  Great  Britain,  and  that  the  persons  employed 
in  it  are  those  Englishmen  who  from  time  to  time  visit  Saint  Helena, 
to  all  of  whom  the  attendants  or  servants  of  Bonaparte  have  free 
access,  and  who,  generally  speaking,  are  willing,  many  without  any 
reward,  and  others  for  very  small  pecuniary  recompense,  to  convey 
to  Europe  any  letter  or  packet  entrusted  to  their  charge.  It  would 
appear,  also,  that  the  captains  and  others  on  board  the  merchant-ships 
touching  at  the  island,  whether  belonging  to  the  East  India  Com- 
pany or  to  other  persons,  are  considered  at  Longwood  as  being 
particularly  open  to  the  seduction  of  General  Bonaparte's  talents  ;  so 
much  so,  indeed,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Longwood  have  regarded 
it  as  a  matter  of  small  difficulty  to  procure  a  passage  on  board  one 
of  these  ships  for  General  Bonaparte,  if  escape  should  at  any  time  be 
his  object. 

"  General  Gourgaud  stated  himself  to  have  been  aware  of  General 
Bonaparte  having  received  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in  Spanish 
dollars,  namely,  ^io.ooo,  at  the  very  time  that  he  disposed  of  his 
plate,  but  on  being  pressed  by  me  as  to  the  persons  privy  to  that 
transaction,  he  contented  himself  with  assuring  me  that  the  mode  of 
its  transmission  was  one  purely  accidental,  that  it  would  never  again 
occur,  and  that  such  being  the  case,  he  trusted  that  I  should  not 
press  a  discovery,  which,  while  it  betrayed  its  author,  could  have  no 
effect  either  as  regarded  the  punishment  of  the  offenders,  or  the 
prevention  of  a  similar  act  in  future.  The  actual  possession  of 
money  was,  moreover,  not  likely,  in  his  view  of  the  subject,  to  afford 
any  additional  means  of  corrupting  the  fidelity  of  those  whom  it 
might  be  advisable  to  seduce,  as  it  was  well  known  that  any  draught, 


NOTES  329 

whatever  might  be  its  account,  drawn  by  General  Bonaparte  on 
Prince  Eugène,  or  on  certain  other  members  of  his  family,  would  be 
scrupulously  honoured. 

"He  assured  me,  however,  in  answer  to  my  inquiries,  that 
neither  Mr.  Balcombe  nor  Mr.  O'Meara  were  in  any  degree  privy 
in  the  above  transaction,  and  that  the  former,  although  much  dis- 
satisfied with  his  situation,  had  never  in  any  money  transaction 
betrayed  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  He  declined,  however,  most 
distinctly,  giving  me  the  same  assurance  with  respect  to  their  not 
being  either  or  both  privy  in  the  transmission  of  a  clandestine 
correspondence. 

"Upon  the  subject  of  General  Bonaparte's  escape,  he  con- 
fidently stated  that,  although  Longwood  was  from  its  situation 
capable  of  being  well  protected  by  sentries,  yet  he  was  certain  that 
there  was  no  difficulty  in  eluding  at  any  time  the  vigilance  of  the 
sentries  round  the  house  and  grounds,  and,  in  short,  that  escape 
from  the  island  appeared  to  him  in  no  degree  impracticable.  The 
subject,  he  confessed,  had  been  discussed  at  Longwood,  and  the 
individuals  of  the  establishment  separately  desired  to  give  their 
plans  for  effecting  it  ;  but  he  expressed  his  belief  to  be  that  General 
Bonaparte  was  so  fully  impressed  with  the  opinion  he  should  be 
permitted  to  leave  St.  Helena,  either  upon  a  change  of  Ministry  in 
England,  or  by  the  unwillingness  of  the  English  to  bear  the  expense 
of  detaining  him,  that  he  would  not  at  present  run  the  hazard  to 
which  an  attempt  of  escape  might  expose  him.  It  appears,  how- 
ever, from  the  statement  of  General  Gourgaud,  and  from  other  cir- 
cumstances stated  by  him,  that  General  Bonaparte  has  always  looked 
at  the  period  of  the  removal  of  the  allied  armies  from  France  as  that 
most  favourable  for  his  return  ;  and  the  probability  of  such  a  deci- 
sion, and  the  consequence  which  would  follow  from  it,  were  urged 
by  him  as  an  argument  to  dissuade  General  Gourgaud  from  quitting 
him  until  after  that  period. 

"Upon  the  subject  of  General  Bonaparte's  health,  General 
Gourgaud  stated  that  we  were  much  imposed  upon  ;  that  General 
Bonaparte  was  not,  so  far  as  bodily  health  was  concerned,  in  any 
degree  materially  altered  ;  and  that  the  representations  on  this 
subject  had  little  if  any  truth  in  them.  Dr.  O'Meara  was  certainly 
the  dupe  of  that  influence  which  General  Bonaparte  always 
exercises  over  those  with  whom  he  has  frequent  intercourse  ;  and 
though  he  (General  Gourgaud)  individually  had  only  reason  de  se 


330  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

louer  de  M.  O'Meara,  yet  his  intimate  knowledge  of  General 
Bonaparte  enabled  him  confidently  to  assert  that  his  bodily  health 
was  not  at  all  worse  than  it  has  been  for  some  time  previous  to  his 
arrival  at  Saint  Helena." 

For  a  considerable  time  all  these  culpable  assertions  were 
unknown  to  the  general  public.  It  was  only  several  years  after  the 
rapid  end  of  the  Emperor — the  very  robust  Emperor  whom 
O'Meara  wrongly  declared  to  be  ill  and  who  was  to  live  to  such  a 
ripe  old  age  ! — that  Sir  Walter  Scott  revealed  them  in  his  Life  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  published  in  1827.  Gourgaud,  extremely 
annoyed  thereby,  immediately  replied  by  a  pamphlet  :  Lettre  à  Sir 
Walter  Scott  (Paris,  Ambroise  Thomas),  in  which  he  refuted  nothing. 
His  sole  serious  argument  in  self-defence  consisted  in  maintaining 
that  the  document  cited  against  him  lacked  authority,  and  merely 
deserved  "  the  measure  of  confidence  accorded  in  all  countries  to 
police  reports."  The  Under-Secretary  of  State,  Goulburn,  especially, 
had  misunderstood  and  incorrectly  noted  down  his  words — a  fact, 
moreover,  which  should  not  afford  surprise,  "  considering  how 
difficult  it  is  to  reproduce  the  terms  of  a  conversation  held  in  a 
foreign  tongue."  Unfortunately  for  this  line  of  defence,  there  exist 
two  letters  by  another  of  Gourgaud's  confidants,  one  whose  know- 
ledge of  French  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  been  as  bad  as 
Goulburn's.  For  this  person  is  the  French  Ambassador  at  London, 
the  Marquis  d'Osmond,  on  whom  Gourgaud  called  during  his  stay 
in  England  with  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  Marquis  de 
Montchenu  and  a  short  eulogistic  note  from  Hudson  Lowe.  On 
the  1 2th  of  May,  1818,  the  Ambassador  wrote  the  following  account 
of  the  interview  to  the  Duc  de  Richelieu  : — 

"  I  opened  the  conversation  by  an  allusion  to  Sir  Hudson 
Lowe's  opinion.  My  interlocutor  began  an  apology  for  his  con- 
duct, which  was  witty  and  modest,  and  appeared  to  me  frank  :  our 
intercourse  lasted  until  five  o'clock,  but  lengthy  as  it  was,  I  did  not 
learn  all  I  desired  to  know.  The  fear  (genuine  or  false)  of  being 
taken  for  a  traitor,  constantly  leads  in  the  conversation  of  this  man 
to  reticences  for  which  he  begged  my  pardon  ;  I  thought  wise  not 
to  insist  upon  them,  wishing  to  inspire  confidence  which — if  I  am 
permitted  by  the  King  to  win  it — will  inform  us  better  and  more 
fully.  Whilst  awaiting  instructions  to  offer  inducements,  I  have 
taken  what  was  given  me,  and  what  I  was  able  to  glean  for  the 
interest  of  the  moment,  adds  little  to  Sir  Hudson  Lowe's  dispatch. 


NOTES  331 

The  doubts  instilled  into  him  by  Gourgaud  will  surely  have  caused 
him  to  increase  his  precautions  and  to  anticipate  the  orders  which 
will  be  sent  in  all  haste  without  my  solicitation. 

"The  part  that  Bonaparte  has  played,  the  cost  of  his  crimes, 
the  evil  he  may  yet  do,  all  contribute  to  give  importance  to  the 
slightest  detail  of  his  Hundred  Days,  of  his  catastrophe,  the  voyage 
which  ensued,  his  actual  existence,  his  schemes  and  his  hopes. 
And,  in  spite  of  the  reservations,  I  was  extremely  interested  by  M. 
Gourgaud's  account  ;  without  the  lacunae,  it  would  become  the 
subject  of  a  most  curious  memorial.  These  are  the  positive  facts 
I  have  gathered  from  it  for  present  needs  : 

"  The  prisoner  of  Saint  Helena  is  not  ill,  and  takes  good  care  of 
himself;  his  somewhat  numerous  communications  are  facilitated  by 
inhabitants  and  soldiers.  I  believe  O'Meara  and  Balcombe  to  be 
among  the  number  of  his  devoted  adherents;  the  latter  is  in 
London  with  his  family,  possibly  not  altogether  of  his  own  accord. 

"The  funds  necessary  for  any  enterprise  are  not  lacking  at 
Longwood.  The  escape  would  already  be  effected  if  the  exiles 
there  knew  whither  to  go  :  this  difficulty  is  their  constant  pre- 
occupation, and  they  urge  their  master  to  return  to  France,  and 
spend  the  rest  of  their  time  picking  quarrels  with  each  other. 
Every  vessel  sighted  through  a  telescope  always  directed  towards 
the  sea,  becomes  a  motive  for  fear  or  for  hope.  The  loss  of 
Cipriani,  after  an  illness  of  three  days,  has  greatly  distressed  his 
master,  who  does  not  so  much  regret  the  maître  d'hôtel  as  the 
active,  intelligent,  discreet,  and  enthusiastic  confidant  he  had  in  him. 
Bonaparte  had  at  first  undertaken  the  writing  of  his  memoirs,  but 
he  only  worked  at  them  by  fits  and  starts  and  disconnectedly. 
Treating  of  different  periods,  according  to  the  works  which  reach 
him,  he  dictates  them  in  a  fluent  manner  ;  the  secretary  afterwards 
writes  them  down  ;  and  the  result  is  a  chapter  to  be  placed  when 
the  moment  comes  to  arrange  the  materials.  On  the  whole,  it 
appears,  more  time  is  devoted  at  Longwood  to  the  future  than  to 
the  past  ;  but  for  baffled  ambitions,  the  present  there  is  sweet 
enough.  The  climate,  accommodation,  food,  and  treatment  do  not 
in  any  respect  justify  the  complaints  to  order.  The  death-rate  of 
St.  Helena  is  the  same  as  that  of  London — one  in  thirty. 

"  Gourgaud,  no  less  eager  than  the  others  to  liberate  Bonaparte, 
would  kill  him,  he  says,  as  soon  as  he  set  foot  in  France;  he 
attributes  his  own  disgrace  to  this  French  resolution.     It  is  quite 


332  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

credible,  but  in  that  case  other  schemes  of  escape  must  have  been 
planned,  and  this  is  what  I  shall  probably  discover,  or  else  never 
know,  according  to  the  instructions  which  will  reach  me.  I  enclose 
a  letter  for  Gourgaud's  mother;  were  it  borne  by  an  intelligent 
person  who  should  afford  the  economical  and  sure  means  of 
answering  by  the  same  channel,  perhaps  light  would  be  thrown  on 
the  subject  of  which  I  might  avail  myself."  1 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1818,  the  Marquis  d'Osmond  again  writes 
to  the  Duc  de  Richelieu  : — 

"The  letter  I  had  the  honour  of  sending  you  on  the  12th  will 
have  confirmed  you  in  the  opinion  you  imparted  to  me  on  the 
preceding  day,  relating  to  the  projects  about  Saint  Helena,  but  it 
will  have  given  you  the  hope  of  a  redoubled  surveillance.  In  spite 
of  his  reticences,  Gourgaud  had  told  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  and  the 
Commissioners  more  than  was  necessary  to  arouse  their  attention. 
Stunner,  on  the  14th  of  March,  did  not  believe  in  the  probability 
of  Bonaparte's  departure,  although  he  had  learned  (as  I  knew) 
what  the  prisoners  thought  of  it.  Gourgaud  seems  to  have  no 
doubt  as  to  the  success  of  the  escape  should  it  be  attempted,  and 
when  I  insisted  upon  the  obstacles  to  be  surmounted  :  '  Why,  your 
Excellency,'  he  remarked,  '  nothing  could  be  simpler  than  to  over- 
come them.' — '  Easily  said,'  I  retorted. — '  No,  easily  done,  and  in  all 
kinds  of  ways  ;  supposing,  for  instance,  that  Napoleon  were  placed 
in  one  of  the  barrels  that  are  sent  to  Longwood,  full  of  provisions, 
and  return  to  Jamestown  every  day  without  being  inspected,  do 
you  believe  it  impossible  to  find  a  captain  of  a  craft  who,  for  a 
bribe  of  a  million  francs,  would  undertake  to  carry  the  barrel  on 
board  a  vessel  ready  to  set  sail?  I  could  mention  other  means 
still,  if  my  position  did  not  impose  silence  on  me  ;  besides,  by  now, 
the  plot  has  succeeded  or  failed.' 

"  On  considering  the  supposition,  I  thought  it  might  well  be  the 
reality,  and  I  await  news  from  Saint  Helena  with  impatience."  2 

Let  us  now  sum  up  all  the  preceding  quotations,  namely,  what 
Gourgaud  said  to  Hudson  Lowe,  to  Major  Gorrequer,  to  Baron 
Sturmer,  to  the  Under-Secretary  of  State,  Henry  Goulburn,  and  to 
the  Marquis  d'Osmond,  and  it  will  be  seen  that — 

1  French  Foreign  Office  :  Mémoires  et  documents,  France,  tome  1804,  fol.  340 
and  341. 

"  French  Foreign  Office  :  Mémoires  et  documents,  France,  tome  1804,  fol.  344 
and  345. 


NOTES  333 

i st.  Gourgaud  compromised  Captain  Poppleton,  Balcombe,  and 
O'Meara,  by  revealing  that  the  first  had  accepted  a  present  from 
Napoleon,  and  that  the  two  others  had  been  privy  to  a  prohibited 
correspondence — not  to  mention  his  accusation  against  O'Meara 
of  having  entirely  fallen  under  the  Emperor's  influence  and  become 
his  dupe. 

2nd.  He  represented  Napoleon  as  enjoying  most  excellent 
health,  contrary  to  the  reports  of  his  doctor,  a  good  climate  and 
comfortable  conditions  of  life,  which  in  no  way  justified  his 
complaints. 

3rd.  He  described  him  as  having  at  his  disposal  large  sums  of 
money  at  Saint  Helena,  and  elsewhere  unlimited  credit  on  Prince 
Eugène  and  the  other  members  of  the  Bonaparte  family  ;  as  easily 
communicating  with  Europe  by  the  medium  of  sailors  and  English 
travellers  ;  and  as  able  to  escape  whenever  it  pleased  him,  perhaps 
even  on  the  point  of  doing  so,  Longwood  and  Saint  Helena  being 
badly  guarded. 

That  is  what  Lord  Rosebery,  whose  weakness  for  Gourgaud  is 
excessive,  regards  in  the  Last  Phase  as  harmless  chatter. 

This  harmless  chatter  had  the  most  serious  consequences. 

In  November,  1818,  it  induced  the  Czar,  at  the  Congress  of 
Aix  la  Chapelle,  to  demand  increased  severity  against  the  captive 
of  Saint  Helena. 

A  Russian  note  to  that  effect  was  presented  to  the  Congress. 
It  alluded  to  Gourgaud  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  He  has  adopted  an  attitude  of  suspicious  frankness,  but  has 
nevertheless  revealed  particulars  which  cannot  fail  to  arrest  the 
attention  of  the  allies. 

"According  to  him,  Napoleon  only  creates  the  difficulties  by 
which  he  worries  the  Governor,  the  better  to  hide  his  real  designs  ; 
secret  communications  with  Europe  and  monetary  transactions 
take  place  on  every  available  opportunity  ;  a  plan  of  escape  has 
been  discussed  by  the  persons  of  his  suite,  and  could  have  been 
carried  out,  had  Napoleon  not  preferred  to  defer  its  execution. 

"The  moment  for  executing  this  plan  was  to  have  coincided 
with  the  withdrawal  of  the  allied  troops  from  French  territory  and 
the  disturbances  which  were  to  ensue. 

"  Considering  what  is  known  of  the  hopes  and  agitation  of  the 
subsiding  revolutionary  elements,  these  facts  deserve  the  attention 
of  the  Governments. 


334  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

"  The  English  Ministry  has  already  taken  more  stringent  pre- 
cautions with  regard  to  the  prisoner  of  Saint  Helena.  Lord 
Bathurst,  in  his  letter  of  September  ist  to  Sir  Hudson  Lowe, 
expresses  his  surprise  that  Bonaparte's  familiars  boast  that  his 
existence  in  the  island  is  a  mystery  to  all,  and  even  to  the  Governor. 
Struck  with  this  infringement  of  the  prescribed  regulations,  the 
Minister  has  ordered  the  latter  to  assure  himself  at  least  twice  a 
day  of  the  captive's  presence. 

"  Should  the  obligation  arise  of  enforcing  this  operation  man?/ 
militari^  there  is  no  reason  why  the  Commissioners  of  the  Great 
Powers  should  not  be  allowed  access  to  Longwood,  so  as  to  ascer- 
tain the  material  existence  of  the  prisoner;  their  right  in  this 
respect,  stipulated  by  the  treaties,  cannot  be  contested.  Since  their 
credentials  are  not  addressed  to  Bonaparte,  they  have  no  need  of 
his  consent  to  accomplish  their  mission  ;  they  have  only  to  deal 
with  the  Governor,  and  should  be  furnished  by  him  with  the  means 
of  discharging  their  orders. 

"  Napoleon's  duplicity  and  irritation  are  a  constant  source  of 
annoyance  to  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  guard  him.  To  superficial 
minds  it  only  appears  to  affect  the  officials  of  Saint  Helena  and  to 
remain  a  matter  of  local  concern.  But  when  one  considers  the 
political  consequences  that  may  ensue,  the  harm  which  the  escape 
of  such  a  man  would  inevitably  cause  to  several  parts  of  Europe, 
where  it  would  interrupt  the  work  of  reorganisation  only  just  started, 
then  the  question  presents  itself  in  all  its  gravity  and  full  extent; 
and  it  is  from  this  last  standpoint  that  the  sovereigns  to  whom  it  is 
now  submitted  must  look  at  it.  .  .  . 

"  If  the  Cabinet  Ministers  of  the  allied  sovereigns  share  this 
opinion,  the  Russian  envoys  are  prepared  to  join  them  so  as  to  give 
the  form  of  a  protocol  to  their  common  decision,  and  to  see  to  its 
complete  execution  at  their  court." 

The  proposed  protocol  was  drawn  up,  and  the  remarks 
developed  in  the  Russian  note  taken  into  consideration.  A  closer 
watch  was  kept  in  Europe  over  the  members  of  the  Bonaparte 
family,  and  at  Saint  Helena  over  Napoleon's  communications  with 
the  outside  world.  The  Emperor  was  henceforth  even  more  isolated 
from  the  rest  of  the  universe  ;  his  complaints  had  less  effect  in 
England,  and  the  Opposition  was  less  inclined  to  uphold  them. 
Hudson  Lowe  tried  to  submit  his  prisoner  to  the  humiliating 
obligation  of  showing  himself  twice  a  day  to  the  orderly  officer  at 


NOTES  335 

Longwood.  Was  that  all  ?  No.  As  a  first  result  of  Gourgaud's 
behaviour,  Dr.  O'Meara  had  been  brutally  removed  from  Napoleon. 
Stokoe,  who  replaced  him  for  a  while,  fell  into  disgrace  in  his  turn 
because  he  was  bold  enough  to  declare  that  the  Emperor  was  ill. 
General  Bonaparte  ill  !  He,  whom  a  Frenchman,  one  of  his  faith- 
ful supporters,  who  knew  him  well,  described  as  having  an  iron 
constitution,  and  as  likely  to  outlive  all  his  companions  in  exile! 
Hudson  Lowe  and  the  English  Ministers  had  now  every  reason  for 
assuming  scepticism.  In  vain,  towards  the  end  of  the  Captivity, 
did  Count  Bertrand  write  two  letters  to  the  Prime  Minister,  Lord 
Liverpool;  in  vain  did  Princess  Borghèse  and  Madame  Mere 
implore  him.  Downing  Street  contented  itself,  or  pretended  to 
content  itself,  with  the  information  supplied  by  Gourgaud. 

Consequently,  Walter  Scott  was  right,  in  1827,  to  reproach  him 
thus  :  "  In  representing  the  ex-Emperor's  health  as  good,  his 
finances  as  ample,  his  means  of  escape  as  easy  and  frequent,  while 
he  knew  his  condition  to  be  the  reverse  in  every  particular,  General 
Gourgaud  must  have  been  sensible  that  the  deceptive  views  thus 
impressed  on  the  British  Ministers  must  have  had  the  natural 
effect  of  adding  to  the  rigours  of  his  patron's  confinement." 

Attempts  have  been  made  recently  in  several  quarters  to  clear 
Gourgaud's  conduct. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  as  he  had  been  charged,  on  his  de- 
parture from  Longwood,  with  a  secret  mission  of  conferring  with  the 
Opposition  party  in  England,  of  visiting  several  members  of  the 
Bonaparte  family  in  Italy  and  Germany,  of  bearing  a  lock  of  the 
hair  of  Napoleon  to  Marie-Louise  at  Parma,  and  of  attempting  to 
see  the  Czar  at  St.  Petersburg,  he  had  been  obliged  to  pose  as  the 
enemy  of  the  Emperor  and  to  appear  to  betray  him,  in  order  to 
obtain  authorisation  to  stay  for  some  time  in  London  first,  and  to 
be  allowed  to  travel  freely  on  the  Continent  afterwards.  Only, 
from  the  outset  and  even  at  Saint  Helena,  he  had  innocently 
surpassed  his  instructions,  as  is  shown  by  a  note  from  Count  de 
Montholon,  dated  from  Longwood,  February  19th,  1818,  and  lately 
discovered,  which  contains  the  following  sentence  :  "  The  Emperor 
considers,  my  dear  Gourgaud,  that  you  are  over-acting  your  part." 
To  sustain  the  same  thesis,  it  has  been  thought  suitable  also  to 
maintain  that  Gourgaud's  Journal,  which  teems  with  awkward 
passages,  had  been  arranged,  altered  in  provision  of  the  event  of  its 
falling  into  the  hands  of  Hudson  Lowe,  and  the  better  to  deceive 


336  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

the  Governor  as  to  the  real  sentiments  of  the  author  towards  his 
companions  in  exile  and  the  Emperor.  Lastly,  it  has  been 
triumphantly  pointed  out  that  a  few  months  after  his  interviews 
with  the  Under-Secretary  of  State,  Goulburn,  and  his  conversations 
with  the  Marquis  d'Osmond — conversations  of  which  the  terms, 
singularly  enough,  had  not  until  recently  aroused  anybody's 
curiosity,  and  which  were  published  for  the  first  time  in  the  French 
edition  of  this  work — Gourgaud,  casting  aside  his  mask  and  re- 
appearing in  his  true  character,  had  hastened  to  address  letters  in 
which  he  pleaded  Napoleon's  cause  to  Marie-Louise,  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  and  the  Czar  Alexander. 

These  letters — to  begin  the  discussion  of  this  apology  with  them 
— could  have  no  effect  after  all  Gourgaud's  verbal  statements. 
He  writes  to  Marie-Louise  that  the  man  who  is  united  to  her  by 
divine  and  human  laws  "is  dying  the  most  cruel  death,"  and  he 
beseeches  her  to  go  to  the  Congress  of  Aix  la  Chapelle  in  order  to 
implore  the  end  of  the  Saint  Helena  martyrdom.  Marie- Louise  was 
in  no  way  inclined  to  such  a  step,  but  had  she  been  willing  to  take 
it,  she  would  only  have  heard  the  reading  at  the  Congress  of  the 
Russian  note  occasioned  by  the  disclosures  and  the  lies  of  Gour- 
gaud.— He  informs  the  Emperor  of  Austria  :  "  Sire,  the  Emperor 
Napoleon  is  dying  in  frightful  agony.  The  persecution  to  which  he 
is  subjected  assails  him  both  morally  and  physically,  and  he  will 
certainly  succumb  to  it  before  long.  He  himself  desires  it,  and  is 
glad  to  see  the  symptoms  of  his  decline  increasing  daily  in  number. 
The  total  want  of  exercise  which  he  inflicts  upon  himself  rather  than 
submit  to  the  humiliations  that  are  forced  upon  him,  plays  havoc 
with  his  constitution.  His  doctor  has  declared  his  life  to  be 
in  danger,  and  soon  nothing  will  remain  of  Napoleon  but  the 
memory  of  his  deeds  and  misfortunes.  Perhaps,  Sire,  there  is  still 
time  to  save  him  ;  the  air  of  Europe  might  restore  him  to  health, 
but  in  another  year  the  attempt  will  be  too  late." — Gourgaud  lastly 
assures  the  Czar  Alexander  :  "  Sire,  it  is  only  too  true  that  the  man 
who  has  been  delivered  up  to  the  mercy  of  his  enemies  after  so 
many  successes,  is  not  treated  by  them  as  a  great  man  betrayed  by 
fortune  should  be,  and  not  even  as  an  ordinary  prisoner  of  war  has 
the  right  to  expect  from  a  civilised  people.  He  is  beset  by 
measures  of  severity  not  necessary  to  the  safety  of  his  custody,  the 
object  of  which  appears  to  be  merely  to  deprive  him  of  all  that 
might  prevent  him  from  succumbing  to  his  sufferings  by  affording 


NOTES  337 

him  physical  exercise  and  moral  consolation.  He  has  been  placed 
under  the  surveillance  of  an  official  whose  unique  occupation  is  to 
invent  every  day  some  new  restriction  or  humiliation.  In  con- 
clusion, Sire,  he  who  was  only  conquered  by  the  combined  force  of 
Europe  is  being  killed  by  pin-pricks.  A  state  of  things  so  painful 
to  the  sufferer,  so  barbarous  on  the  part  of  the  tormentor,  and  so 
revolting  for  those  who  will  learn  it  one  day  in  history,  cannot  last 
very  long.  Napoleon  is  wasting  away  ;  he  is  rapidly  approaching 
the  grave." 

After  what  Gourgaud  said  in  London  about  Napoleon's 
excellent  health,  the  good  climate  of  Saint  Helena,  and  the  kind 
behaviour  of  Hudson  Lowe,  could  the  Emperor  of  Austria  and  the 
Czar  Alexander,  who  had  been  kept  informed  of  these  verbal  state- 
ments, believe  in  written  declarations  so  entirely  different  ?  They 
could  not,  indeed,  and  if  Gourgaud  thought  fit  to  address  letters  to 
the  two  sovereigns,  it  was  to  mask  his  guilt  ;  in  other  words,  in  his 
own  interest,  and  not  in  that  of  Napoleon.  Subsequent  to  his  con- 
versations with  the  Under-Secretary  of  State,  Goulburn,  and  the 
Marquis  d'Osmond,  he  had  met  various  members  of  the  English 
Opposition,  who  on  hearing  him  vituperate  his  master,  pointed  out 
to  him  the  odium  and  folly  of  his  conduct  :  as  a  supporter  and  a 
champion  of  the  Emperor,  he  was  a  personage  in  Europe  ;  as  his 
enemy,  he  would  be  nobody,  and  would  lose  public  esteem.  Now 
Gourgaud  had  innumerable  failings,  but  he  was  an  intelligent  man  ; 
he  understood  what  was  told  him,  and  changed  his  policy  abruptly. 

After  Napoleon's  death,  his  companions  in  exile  thought  it  wise 
and  decorous  to  pass  a  sponge  over  the  shortcomings  of  Saint 
Helena  ;  Gourgaud  was  forgiven,  his  faults  were  as  far  as  possible 
effaced.  This  accounts  for  the  presence  in  the  General's  portfolio 
of  the  above-mentioned  note,  dated  February  19th,  181 8,  which 
tends  to  represent  his  conduct  as  the  overacting  of  a  part. 
There  is  no  reason  for  refusing,  with  some,  to  admit  that  it  is  in 
the  hand  of  Count  de  Montholon  ;  perhaps  the  water-mark  even 
bears  a  date  corresponding  to  one  of  the  years  of  Saint  Helena  : 
very  likely,  for  the  Count,  who  kept  the  records  of  Longwood,  brought 
back  a  large  quantity  of  blank  paper.  No  less  suspicious  is  that 
verbal  and  secret  legacy  which  the  Emperor,  who  had  omitted  to 
mention  Gourgaud  in  his  will  and  in  his  codicils,  is  reported  to 
have  left,  according  to  the  indulgent  statement  of  Grand  Marshal 
Bertrand  and  of  Count  de  Montholon,  in  favour  of  the  informer  of 


338  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Goulburn  and  of  the  Marquis  d'Osmond  ;  in  favour  of  the  man 
who  left  Longwood  uttering,  as  Henry  records,  the  following 
threat:  "J'écrirai  ce  que  je  sais  et  ce  que  je  ne  sais  pas,"  and 
carried  out  his  threat  so  fully  that  he  brought  about  O'Meara's 
disgrace,  an  increase  of  the  severity  of  the  Captivity,  and  authorised 
in  England  a  complete  scepticism  as  to  Napoleon's  hardships  and 
ill-health. 

All  that  can  be  said  on  behalf  of  Gourgaud,  is  that  before  Saint 
Helena  he  was  a  brave,  active,  and  excellent  artillery  officer  ;  that 
at  Saint  Helena  he  was  a  valuable  companion  and  collaborator  to 
the  Emperor,  on  account  of  his  conversational  talent,  his  good 
general  education  and  his  knowledge  of  mathematics  ;  and  lastly, 
that  his  Journal — provided  the  reader  keep  well  in  view  the  author's 
character  and  his  tendency  to  be  biased,  in  his  sketches,  by  his 
jealousy  and  natural  malevolence — is  the  most  interesting  of  the 
records  of  the  Captivity.  It  is  also  the  most  complete  as  regards 
minute  details.  Let  us  only  warn  once  more  those  who  may  wish 
to  peruse  it  :  Gourgaud  is  the  realistic  chronicler  of  Saint  Helena  .  .  . 
just  as  Las  Cases  is  the  romantic. 

Page  199.  As  Napoleon  remarked,  the  man  who 
committed  the  offences  was,  in  other  respects,  a  loyal 
servant  of  his  country  :  he  would  never  have  assisted 
an  escape  either  actively  or  tacitly. 

"O'Meara  certainly  does  everything  to  increase  our  comfort," 
says  the  Emperor  in  Gourgaud's  Journal,  "  he  listens  to  our  com- 
plaints, but  will  never  betray  his  country."  It  is  true — still  accord- 
ing to  the  same  Journal — that  a  little  later  Napoleon  pronounces 
this  judgment  on  the  English  physician  :  "  It  is  only  since  I  gave 
him  my  money  that  the  doctor  is  so  well  disposed  towards  me.  Ah  ! 
I  can  depend  upon  him  !  "  But,  even  admitting  that  Gourgaud  is 
always  truthful,  it  would  seem  that  the  money  in  question  was 
money  entrusted  to  O'Meara  to  make  various  purchases  at  James- 
town, and  perhaps  at  times  not  very  judiciously  spent  by  him. 
It  must  not  be  forgotten,  besides,  that  Napoleon  was  occasionally, 
although  not  frequently,  unjust  and  bitter  in  his  remarks,  owing  to 
the  tedium  and  sufferings  of  his  life. 

Page  200.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1818,  Hudson 
Lowe  received  permission  to  dispose  of  his  enemy. 


NOTES  339 

He  immediately  issued  orders  for  his  arrest  and  for 
his  removal  from  Longwood,  without  allowing  him  to 
take  leave  of  Napoleon.  In  the  hope  of  discovering 
compromising  papers,  he  had  his  trunks  examined 
and  his  desk  broken  open  during  his  absence.  In 
the  course  of  the  search,  which  led  to  no  result,  some 
jewels  and  valuables,  presents  from  the  Emperor, 
disappeared.  .  .  .  An  inquiry  took  place  for  form's 
sake  only,  and  the  doctor  never  recovered  his  property. 

See  the  account  given  by  O'Meara  of  this  singular  affair,  with 
the  documentary  evidence,  in  his  first  book  :  An  Exposition  of  some 
of  the  Transactions  that  have  taken  place  at  Saint  Helena,  since  the 
Appointment  of  Sir  Hudsofi  Lowe  as  Governor  of  that  Island. 

Forsyth,  in  spite  of  his  desire,  finds  nothing,  or  hardly  anything, 
to  reply  in  his  :  History  of  the  Captivity  of  Napoleon  at  Saint 
Helena. 

Page  20 1.  Some  weeks  before  the  departure  of 
General  Gourgaud,  the  maître  d'hôtel,  Cipriani,  when 
waiting  one  evening  on  the  Emperor  at  dinner,  had 
been  suddenly  seized  with  intestinal  pains  so  intense 
that  they  caused  him  to  writhe  on  the  floor  and  to 
utter  frightful  cries  of  agony.  Two  days  later,  on 
February  26th,  he  expired. 

Henry  gives  the  following  account  of  his  death  : 
"In  the  month  of  February,  1818,  Bonaparte's  maître  d'hôtel, 
Cipriani,  a  faithful  servant,  who  had  followed  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
his  fortune,  was  attacked  with  inflammation  of  the  bowels.  The 
symptoms  having  assumed  a  dangerous  chararter,  Mr.  O'Meara 
requested  me  to  see  him.  Accordingly,  having  obtained  the 
Governor's  permission,  I  repaired  to  Longwood  and  continued  to 
attend  the  patient  until  his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  26th  of 
February. 

"  This  poor  man  suffered  excruciating  pain  in  the  early  stages  of 
his  disease.  I  had  known  him  previous  to  his  illness,  and  often 
had  long  conversations  with  him,  when  we  chanced  to  meet  in  our 


340  THE  DRAMA   OF  SAINT  HELENA 

evening  walks.  Although  Bonaparte's  devoted  servant,  he  was 
one  of  the  most  violent  Republican  Jacobins  I  ever  met,  and  a 
person  of  a  class  that  I  had  imagined  had  almost  ceased  to  exist  in 
France  under  the  Imperial  rule.  M.  Cipriani  was  very  ferocious 
in  his  anti-religious  sentiments  ;  and  although  Voltaire  was  his 
Evangelist,  and  he  had  always  a  volume  of  his  works  in  his  pocket, 
he  was  no  admirer  of  the  tolerant  principles  of  his  great  favourite, 
but  declared  'war  to  the  knife'  against  all  Priests,  all  Kings — all 
Emperors  (except  his  master),  and  all  Religions.  The  horrid  wish 
expressed  by  some  hero  of  the  Reign  of  Terror,  whom  I  forget — 
that  '  the  last  of  Kings  might  be  strangled  by  the  bowels  of  the  last 
of  Priests,'  tickled  his  fancy  mightily,  and  he  often  told  me  he 
heartily  concurred  in  it. 

"  M.  Cipriani  was  buried  in  the  Protestant  burying-ground,  by  a 
Protestant  clergyman  ;  and  it  certainly  required  an  ugly  stretch  of 
conscience  to  call  him  a  dear  brother  in  the  Christian  Faith,  and  to 
entertain  a  sure  and  certain  hope  of  his  resurrection  to  eternal  life  : 
for  the  poor  man  laughed  at  Christianity  and  the  Resurrection,  and 
joined  heartily  in  the  wish  of  the  Ferney  Philosopher,  as  well  as 
admired  his  formidable  attempts,  ' pour  écraser  Pinfame' — the 
Christian  Religion.  This  may  be  called  bigotry — I  care  not  for 
the  aspersion,  since  I  speak  the  truth  ;  and  conceive  that  it  is 
neither  fit  nor  reasonable  that  a  virulent  scoffer  and  infidel  should 
leave  the  world  under  false  colours. 

"  But,  leaving  these  serious  matters,  I  am  obliged  to  tell  that  in 
the  course  of  my  attendance  at  Longwood,  I  was  not  a  little 
surprised  to  find  that  Napoleon  had  never  visited  his  devoted 
servant  during  his  last  illness.  No  doubt  but  this  piece  of 
Imperial  condescension  would  have  been  highly  gratifying  to  the 
patient  ;  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  no  visit  ever  took  place,  although 
the  sick  man's  chamber  was  under  the  Emperor's  roof,  and  not 
20  feet  distant  from  his  bath.  I  have  reason  to  believe,  however, 
that  during  the  last  evening  of  Cipriani's  malady,  and  when  he 
was  in  a  state  of  delirious  insensibility,  his  master  proposed  to 
see  him,  but  was  dissuaded  by  Mr.  O'Meara,  on  the  ground  that 
the  patient  would  not  then  be  in  a  state  to  recognise  the  Emperor. 
With  no  small  degree  of  absurd  charlatanerie — if  I  may  be  forgiven 
for  using  the  word  with  reference  to  such  a  man — Napoleon,  on 
that  occasion,  expressed  an  opinion,  that  his  presence  might  re- 
animate the  expiring  efforts  of  nature,  as  it  had,  he  said,  under 


NOTES  341 

desperate  circumstances,  retrieved  the  almost  fatal  disorder  of  his 
army  at  Marengo,  and  some  other  of  his  battlefields. 

"Some  time  after  Cipriani's  death,  Mr.  O'Meara  called  on  me 
at  Deadwood,  with  a  smiling  countenance,  to  tell  me  he  was  the 
bearer  of  good  news,  on  which  he  offered  me  his  congratulations. 
The  Emperor,  it  appeared,  had  consulted  him  as  to  the  propriety 
of  giving  a  fee  or  a  present  to  the  English  physician,  who  had 
attended  his  servant  ;  and  the  result  was  that  a  present  had  been 
preferred.  Mr.  O'Meara  added,  that  Napoleon  had  condescended 
to  inquire  the  name  of  the  English  doctor,  and  whether  he  was 
married  or  single  ;  and  that  the  business  had  ended  in  an  order 
having  been  given  for  a  breakfast-service  of  plate  to  be  sent  for 
to  Rundell  &  Bridges,  Fleet  Street,  London. 

"This  was  all  very  pleasing  information,  and  it  was  not  un- 
natural for  me  to  felicitate  myself  on  the  prospect  of  such  a 
present,  coming  from  such  a  quarter.  Waking  visions,  too,  of 
the  pride  I  should  hereafter  feel  in  exhibiting  my  tea-service,  or 
in  asking  my  friends  to  the  first  dejeuner,  where  it  would  be 
sported  —  might  be  forgiven  ;  mixed  with  speculations,  also,  as 
to  the  probable  pattern  of  the  plate.  Unfortunately  the  sequel 
proved,  that,  as  there  are  many  'slips  between  the  cup  and  the 
lip,'  so  an  accident  may  occur  sometimes  between  the  teapot 
and  the  cup. 

"A  few  days  after  this  communication,  Mr.  O'Meara  again 
called  ;  but  this  time  his  countenance  had  no  such  riant  ex- 
pression as  on  the  former  occasion.  A  difficulty  had  occurred. 
A  statute  had  passed  in  England  lately,  constituting  the  acceptance 
of  any  gift  from  Napoleon,  or  any  of  his  suite  in  Saint  Helena,  a 
criminal  act.  It  was  therefore  necessary,  previous  to  any  farther 
step,  to  ascertain  how  I  felt  disposed,  and  whether  I  would 
consent  to  accept  the  Emperor's  present  clandestinely,  and  without 
the  knowledge  of  the  Governor.  This,  it  was  now  the  object  of 
Mr.  O'Meara's  visit  to  ascertain — the  Emperor,  he  assured  me, 
having  an  invincible  repugnance  to  hold  any  conversation  what- 
ever with  Sir  Hudson  Lowe;  or,  as  he  expressed  it,  to  permit 
any  gift  from  himself  to  be  contaminated  by  passing  through  the 
hands  of  '  Cain,'  as  was  his  favourite  nickname  for  the  Governor. 

"  I  took  a  little  time  to  consult  with  my  friends  ;  more  indeed, 
as  a  thing  usual  in  such  cases,  than  from  any  doubt  as  to  what 
was  proper  to  be  done.     Two  hours  after,  Mr.  O'Meara  returned 


342  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

to  Longwood,  with  the  information  that  all  must  be  above-board, 
and  nothing  done  illegally  or  clandestinely.  I  heard  no  more 
of  my  plate. 

"The  thing  was  plain  enough — a  palpable  attempt  at  a  bribe, 
to    enlist    even    so    humble    an    individual    as    myself    Vhomme 
d'Empereur,  and  to  bind  him  down  to  future  obedience  by  making 
him  first  commit  himself  in  a  wrong  action.  .  .  ." 
This  narrative  is  full  of  misrepresentations. 

In  order  to  render  Napoleon  odious  for  not  having  visited 
Cipriani  during  his  illness,  Henry  conceals  from  his  readers  the 
rapidity  of  that  illness  ;  he  carefully  refrains  from  revealing  its 
duration,  but  allows  it  to  be  thought  that  it  was  rather  long. 

"Cipriani,"  O'Meara  more  accurately  relates  in  an  entry  of  his 
journal,  dated    February    23rd,    1818,    "Cipriani   complained   this 
day  of  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  which,  from  the  moment  he 
made    it    known    to    me,  presented  most  formidable  appearances. 
Recourse   was   had    to   all  the  vigorous  remedies  administered  in 
such   cases.     Only   temporary   relief,  however,  was  obtained,  and 
the  unfavourable  symptoms  returned  with   increased   aggravation. 
It  was  soon  evident  that  his  life  was  in   imminent   danger  ;   and 
other  professional  men  were  called  in.     All,  however,  was  useless, 
and  the  complaint   was   rapidly  hurrying  him    on    to    dissolution. 
Cipriani  himself,  although  conscious  of  his  danger,  preserved  the 
greatest  composure.     Napoleon,  who  had  an  affection  for  him  as 
his   countryman    and   a   man   wholly  devoted   to   his  service,  was 
extremely  anxious  for  his  recovery  and  frequent  in  his   inquiries. 
On  the  25th,  Napoleon,  with  whom  I  had  been  repeatedly  during 
the  day  to  report  the  state  of  the  patient,  sent  for  me  at  twelve 
o'clock  at  night.     I  mentioned  that  Cipriani  was  lying  in  a  kind 
of  stupor.     '  I  think,'  said  he,   '  that  my  appearance   before   poor 
Cipriani  would  act  as  a  stimulus  to  slumbering  nature,  and  rouse 
her  to  make  new  efforts  which  may  finally  Overcome  the  disease 
and   save   the   patient.'      He   endeavoured    to    illustrate    this    by 
describing  the  electric  effects  which  had  been  produced  in  many 
instances  by  his  appearance  on  the  field  of  battle  at  most  critical 
moments   and  times.     I    replied   that  Cipriani   was  still  sensible  ; 
and  that  I  knew  the  love  and  veneration  he  had  for  his  master 
to  be  so  great  that  on  his  appearance  before  him  he  would  make 
an  effort  to  rise  in  his  bed,  which  exertion,  in  the  weak  state  in 
which  he  was,  would  probably  produce  syncope,  during  which  his 


NOTES  343 

soul  would  most  probably  take  its  departure.  Napoleon  acquiesced 
in  my  opinion  that  he  should  not  try  the  experiment  ;  observing 
that  in  such  cases  les  hommes  de  Part  were  the  best  judges. 

"  About  four  o'clock  next  day  poor  Cipriani  was  numbered  with 
the  dead." 

Thus  Cipriani  complains  of  pains  in  the  bowels  on  the  23rd  of 
February.  To  judge  by  the  scanty  information  we  possess,  it 
would  appear  that  he  nevertheless  continued  to  fulfil  his  functions 
until  the  evening  of  the  following  day,  the  24th,  when  he  fell  on 
the  floor  of  the  dining-room  of  Longwood  during  dinner.  Through- 
out the  25th,  Napoleon  makes  inquiries  about  his  health  ;  at 
midnight  the  Emperor  is  bent  upon  visiting  his  servant,  and  only 
abstains  from  doing  so  because  he  feels  the  justice  of  an  objection 
made  by  O'Meara.  On  the  26th,  doubtless  sooner  than  is 
expected,  death  ensues. 

Napoleon  was  greatly  afflicted  by  the  event  :  "  The  Corsican 
Cipriani,"  Count  Balmain  reports,  "has  just  died  of  an  inflammation 
of  the  bowels.  Bonaparte  is  extremely  affected,  for  he  was  greatly 
attached  to  him.  '  Were  he  to  be  buried  in  my  enclosure,'  he  said, 
'I  should  have  the  consolation  of  being  present  at  his  funeral.'" 
"Bonaparte  has  just  lost  one  of  his  most  devoted  servants  .  .  ." 
writes  Baron  Sturmer.  "  He  spent  the  day  of  his  burial  at  Bertrand's 
house,  walking  up  and  down  from  one  room  to  another,  and 
appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of  agitation." 

Henry's  artful  way  of  misrepresenting  facts  is  now  clear.  It 
would  be  useful  to  discuss  and  appreciate  in  the  same  way  several 
further  assertions  of  his  which  have  not  been  mentioned  in  the 
present  volume,  but  this  would  entail  too  much  time. 

By  concealing  the  abruptness  of  Cipriani's  death,  Henry  not 
only  aims  at  showing  Napoleon  to  be  indifferent  and  heartless,  but 
also  allows  his  readers  to  imagine  that  his  attendance  on  the  sick 
man  was  assiduous  and  of  long  duration,  whereas  in  reality  it  con- 
sisted simply  of  two  or  three  visits  at  most.  He  is  equally  silent 
about  the  fact  that  another  medical  officer,  Baxter,  the  Deputy- 
Inspector  of  Hospitals,  whom  he,  a  mere  assistant-surgeon,  probably 
only  accompanied,  was  called  in  consultation  by  O'Meara.  In 
short,  Henry  magnifies  his  part  on  the  occasion,  and  overestimates 
the  gratitude  due  to  him. 

Nevertheless,  the  Emperor  was  wrong  not  to  order  the  tea-service 
from  London.     It  is  evident  that  Henry's  deception  was  cruel,  and 


344  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

that  he  does  not  forgive  it.  A  dozen  silver  cups  would  probably  have 
considerably  changed  the  appreciations  of  the  author  of  Events  of  a 
Military  Life  on  matters  relating  to  the  Captivity.  But,  in  this 
circumstance,  Napoleon  did  not  anticipate  the  future  memorialist 
whom  he  should  have  conciliated.  He  was  not  as  generous  with 
Henry  as  shrewd  calculation  demanded,  through  reluctance,  it  is 
true,  to  forward  a  present  by  the  medium  of  Hudson  Lowe,  of  whom 
he  once  said,  "  If  my  son  or  my  wife  were  to  come  here,  and  be 
shown  in  to  my  presence  by  this  Governor,  I  should  refuse  to 
receive  them  !  " 

Did  the  Emperor  try  to  corrupt  Henry  ?  If  so,  he  also  tried  to 
corrupt  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boys,  who,  given  his  character,  does  not  seem, 
however,  to  have  been  a  man  easy  to  corrupt.  As  this  clergyman 
had  interred  Cipriani,  Napoleon  sent  him  a  gold  snuff-box  by 
O'Meara.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Boys  thought,  at  first,  that  he  could 
accept  it  without  referring  the  matter  to  the  Governor,  but,  on  the 
advice  of  his  colleague,  Vernon,  he  afterwards  restored  it.  The 
Emperor  gave  him  in  exchange  the  sum  of  ^25,  begging  him  to  use 
it  on  behalf  of  a  charitable  institution.  Very  likely  the  gracious 
permission  of  Hudson  Lowe  was  not  required  for  this  gift,  and 
Henry  would  doubtless  have  received  a  similar  monetary  gratifica- 
tion, instead  of  his  tea-service,  had  it  been  possible  to  do  so  under 
the  same  conditions. 

Page  202.  .  .  .  The  strange  behaviour  of  Las 
Cases,  who,  when  urged  by  Hudson  Lowe  to  return 
to  Longwood  after  his  arrest,  had  refused  to  do  so, 
giving  the  pompous  but  meagre  reason,  that  having 
been  stigmatised  by  despotic  proceedings,  he  could 
not  appear  again  in  the  Emperor's  presence. 

Not  only  did  Las  Cases  refuse  to  return  to  Napoleon,  but  it 
will  always  be  a  question  whether  he  had  not  contrived  a  plan  to 
have  himself  removed  from  Longwood.  For  he  had  written  two 
letters,  without  the  Emperor's  knowledge,  one  destined  for  Prince 
Lucien,  the  other  for  an  Englishwoman,  Lady  Clavering  ;  and 
although  these  letters  were  of  very  little  importance,  he  applied  to 
a  mulatto  to  have  them  dispatched  secretly.  The  mulatto  de- 
nounced him.  It  appears  probable  that  Las  Cases  had  recourse  to 
mysterious  channels  without  any  necessity,  and  merely  in  order  to 


NOTES  345 

be  arrested,  and  to  have  a  suitable  excuse  for  leaving  the  Emperor. 
No  doubt  he  felt  an  irresistible  desire  to  regain  Europe  and  begin 
there  his  publications  on  Saint  Helena.  It  must  also  be  said  on  his 
behalf,  that  his  companions  in  exile,  who  called  him  "the  Jesuit," 
and  were  jealous  of  him  on  account  of  Napoleon's  preference 
for  him,  made  his  life  at  Longwood  hard  to  bear,  that  his  son 
Emmanuel  seemed  to  be  afflicted  with  a  liver  complaint,  and  that 
he  himself  suffered  from  ill-health. 

Page  206.  .  .  .  Napoleon,  never  a  great 
sleeper.   .  .  . 

Napoleon  has  sometimes  been  represented  as  having  become  a 
great  sleeper  at  Saint  Helena.  Nothing  could  be  more  inaccurate. 
As  has  been  seen  in  a  preceding  note,  Gourgaud  told  Baron 
Sturmer  that  the  Emperor  never  slept  for  several  hours  at  a  stretch. 
In  spite  of  the  distrust  which  all  Gourgaud's  remarks  to  the  Com- 
missioners, the  Under-Secretary,  Goulburn,  and  the  Marquis 
d'Osmond,  must  necessarily  inspire,  there  is  no  reason  whatsoever 
to  doubt  this.  The  fact  is,  that  Napoleon,  idle,  beset  by  tedium, 
and  worn  away  by  disease  at  Saint  Helena,  frequently  took  naps  on 
his  sofa.  But  these  naps,  though  affording  him  but  little  rest  in  the 
day,  increased  his  insomnia  during  the  night. 

Page  215.  In  1859,  for  instance,  Captain 
Masselin,  of  the  French  Engineers,  was  sent  by  his 
Government  to  Saint  Helena,  and  stayed  there  two 
years.  He  has  left  a  very  sober,  and,  to  all  appear- 
ances, a  very  accurate  account  of  his  mission. 

Sainte- Hélène,  par  E.  Masselin  (Paris,  Plon,  1862).  Captain 
Masselin  restored  Longwood  House,  which  had  become  French 
property. 

Page  227.  He  (O'Meara)  has  published  two 
works. 

The  first  is  entitled  :  An  Exposition  of  the  Transactions  that  have 
taken  place  at  Saint  Helena,  since  the  Appointment  of  Sir  Hudson 
Lowe  as  Governor  of  that  Island  (London,  18 19).  The  second — 
O'Meara's  journal — bears  the  title  :  Napoleon  in  Exile,  or  a    Voice 


346  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

from  Saint  Helena  (London,  Jones,  1822).     Re-edited  by  Richard 
Bentley,  London,  1888. 

A  portion  of  the  complete  text  of  O'Meara's  journal,  in  con- 
formity with  the  original  manuscript,  has  been  published  recently 
in  The  Century  Illustrated  for  February,  March,  and  April,  1900. 

Page  230.  One  would  do  well  to  read  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  three  foreign  Commissioners  and 
the  inquiries  to  which  he  had  the  insolence  to  subject 
the  Marquis  de  Montchenu,  Count  Balmain,  and 
Baron  Sturmer  !  O'Meara  shows  Hudson  Lowe  as 
often  illogical,  extravagant,  and  absurd  in  conversa- 
tion. Again,  one  would  do  well  to  read  the  foreign 
Commissioners  !  O'Meara  accuses  Hudson  Lowe  of 
indulgence  in  vulgar  expressions,  in  rude  remarks, 
and  in  violent  scenes.  Once  more,  one  would  do 
well  to  read  the  Commissioners  ! 

By  way  of  example,  this  is  what  Sturmer  reports  to  Prince 
Metternich  in  a  letter,  dated  June  1st,  1818  : — 

"Over  three  weeks  had  elapsed  without  my  seeing  the 
Governor,  so  I  paid  him  a  visit  on  the  29th  of  last  month  to 
inquire  from  him,  according  to  my  custom,  whether  there  was  any 
news  from  Longwood  that  I  might  communicate  to  Your  Highness. 
He  received  me  in  a  disgraceful  fashion.  The  conversation  we 
had  together  took  such  an  unpleasant  turn,  that  I  feel  it  my  duty 
to  give  you  an  account  of  it  verbatim.  Your  Highness  will  see  the 
full  extent  of  this  man's  extravagance  and  folly. 

Myself.  How  is  your  health  ? 

The  Governor  answers  by  a  nod. 

Myself.  May  I  make  so  bold  as  to  ask  you  whether  there  is  a 
departure  for  Europe  ? 

The  Governor.  Yes,  on  Sunday  or  Monday,  not  before. 

Myself  Anything  new  at  Longwood  ? 

The  Governor  (discontentedly).  I  am  completely  ignorant 
about  it. 

Myself  How  is  Bonaparte  ? 

No  answer  ;  the  Governor  lowers  his  head  and  stares  fixedly  at 
the  crround.  ... 


NOTES  347 

He  offered  me  a  chair  and  sat  down  himself  at  the  other  endjof 
the  room,  where,  with  his  arms  crossed,  he  set  about  meditating 
upon  what  he  was  going  to  tell  me.  He  spent  at  least  twenty 
minutes  in  this  attitude.  Meanwhile  I  was  on  tenter-hooks,  and 
at  a  loss  what  to  do.  Fortunately  I  discovered  beside  me  a  few 
newspapers  that  I  glanced  through. 

The  Governor  suddenly  rose  and  began  striding  up  and  down 
the  room.  He  then  said  to  me  abruptly  :  '  I  have  nothing  to  tell 
when  I  am  forestalled  as  regards  information  by  the  followers  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte.' 

Myself.  I  have  not  been  to  Longwood  for  a  long  time,  and  have 
seen  nobody  of  Bonaparte's  suite. 

The  Governor.  But  Count  Balmain  goes  there. 
Myself.  That  does  not  concern  me. 

The  Governor.  I  shall  tell  you  nothing  without  first  knowing 
what  Count  Balmain  said  to  you.  .  .  .  You  certainly  repeat  to 
your  colleague  all  you  learn  from  me,  and  consequently  I  do  not 
see  why  you  make  a  mystery  of  what  is  confided  to  you  by  Count 
Balmain. 

Myself.  I  do  not  make  a  mystery  of  it,  but  I  am  not  in  the  habit 
of  playing  the  part  of  informer  ;  such  a  part  is  beneath  me.  I 
should  be  sorry  to  think  you  believe  me  capable  of  repeating  what 
you  impart  to  me  in  confidence. 

The  Governor  (abruptly).  I  shall  no  longer  ask  you  what  Count 
Balmain  tells  you.  ...  I  had  foreseen  it.  .  .  .  This  is  what  these 
meetings  lead  to.  .  .  .  They  are  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  regula- 
tions. I  cannot  authorise  communications  which  are  not  made 
through  my  channel. 

Myself.  Conversations  are  not  communications.  I  have  had 
the  honour  of  repeating  to  you  verbally  and  in  writing,  that  every 
time  I  should  hear  anything  worthy  of  your  attention,  I  should 
consider  it  my  duty  to  inform  you  of  it.  I  have  frequently  given 
you  proof  of  the  fact. 

The  Governor.  The  Marquis  de  Montchenu  told  me  Count 
Bertrand  had  assured  him  that  General  Bonaparte  would  be  glad 
to  see  the  Commissioners.     Is  not  that  a  communication? 

Myself.  That  is  nothing  new.  M.  de  Las  Cases  said  the  same 
thing  sixteen  months  ago  to  any  one  who  was  willing  to  listen  to 
him.  We  have  never  doubted  that  Bonaparte  would  be  delighted 
to  see  us  as  private  individuals,  and  it  is  only  out  of  respect  for  you 


348  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

that  we  have  not  availed  ourselves  of  his  favourable  disposition.  If 
you  call  that  a  communication,  I  foresee  with  regret  that  we  shall 
never  arrive  at  an  understanding. 

The  Governor.  I  should  greatly  prefer  you  to  be  always  with 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  than  to  learn  that  you  talk  to  the  persons  of 
his  suite  without  my  knowing  exactly  what  they  tell  you  ;  I  should 
at  all  events  be  free  from  all  responsibility. 

Myself.  Once  more,  Your  Excellency,  is  it  not  enough  for  me 
to  give  you  my  word  of  honour  to  inform  you  of  everything  that 
may  be  of  the  slightest  interest  to  you  ? 

The  Governor.  They  speak  of  me,  I  know. 

Myself.  Even  supposing  that  be  so,  what  harm  can  it  do? 
Surely  the  invectives  of  Count  Bertrand  and  Count  de  Montholon 
cannot  disturb  your  peace  of  mind  ? 

The  Governor.  I  despise  all  that  ;  I  fear  nothing.  If  my  govern- 
ment is  not  satisfied  with  me,  it  has  only  to  recall  me. 

Myself.  When  you  told  me  that  Bonaparte  had  an  obstruction 
of  the  liver  .  .  . 

The  Governor  (gravely  interrupting  me).  I  told  you  that  he  had 
said  he  had  an  obstruction  of  the  liver  ?  No,  Baron,  I  never  told 
you  that.     I  spoke  to  you  of  incipient  hepatitis. 

Myself.  Incipient  hepatitis  means  a  beginning  of  inflammation 
of  the  liver. 

The  Governor.  I  spoke  to  you  about  a  beginning  of  an  obstruc- 
tion, but  not  about  an  obstruction.  The  difference  is  extremely 
important.  You  were  probably  told  that  at  Longwood.  Really,  I 
see  that  Bonaparte  finds  willing  agents. 

Myself.  You  are  mistaken  ;  we  are  not  Napoleon  Bonaparte's 
agents.  We  have  all  of  us  sufficient  discernment  to  distinguish 
between  the  truth  and  what  it  is  his  interest  to  make  us  believe. 

The  Governor.  You  had  better  not  go  to  Longwood. 

Afyself.  I  do  not  go  there  often  ;  you  cannot  accuse  me  of 
indiscretion.  In  the  space  of  seven  months,  I  have  only  been 
there  twice. 

The  Governor.  Twice  !  You  dare  say  that  !  (walking  about  in 
a  state  of  agitation).  Gorrequer  !  (addressing  his  aide-de-camp, 
who  never  fails  to  be  present  as  a  witness  to  conversations  of  this 
description).  Is  it  not  very  extraordinary? — Then  you  were  not 
there  on  the  ioth  of  this  month? 

Myself.  I  do  not  recollect  having  been  ;  but  since  you  attach  so 


NOTES  349 

much  importance  to  the  matter,  let  us  suppose  that  I  have  been 
there  five  times,  and  say  no  more  about  it. 

The  Governor.  Then  you  were  there  perhaps  on  the  20th,  and 
must  know  how  Napoleon  Bonaparte  is  ? 

Myself.  To-day  is  the  29th.  Many  things  have  happened  since. 
You  have  just  told  me  you  knew  nothing  of  what  was  going  on  at 
Longwood,  and  yet  you  prevent  us  from  finding  out  by  ourselves. 
What  do  you  expect  us  to  write  to  our  Courts  ? 

The  Governor.  I  see  no  necessity  for  your  writing,  when  I 
myself  as  Governor  of  the  island  am  on  bad  terms  with  those 
people. 

Myself.  I  do  not  agree  with  you  on  that  point.  There  are 
certain  matters  which  I  cannot  keep  back  from  my  Court.  For 
instance,  I  should  be  neglecting  my  duty  were  I  not  to  inform  it 
that  Bonaparte  was  extremely  ill  on  the  night  of  the  20th,  and  I 
heard  it  merely  by  chance. 

The  Govemo7\  Who  told  it  you  ? 

Myself.  It  was  the  talk  of  the  town. 

The  Governor.  That  is  impossible.  Only  Count  Balmain  can 
have  spoken  to  you  about  it.  I  am  quite  certain  no  British  officer 
would  have  dared  tell  it  you. 

Myself.  I  fail  to  see  what  harm  there  would  be  in  a  British 
officer  speaking  to  me  of  Bonaparte's  health  if  he  knew  something 
about  it.  We  are  not  living  in  a  dungeon,  but  in  a  free  country. 
Everybody  is  at  liberty  to  think  and  say  what  he  pleases. 

The  Governor  (ironically).  In  a  dungeon  !  Why  not  a  galley  ? 
That  would  be  more  in  keeping  with  Napoleonic  phraseology. 

Myself.  Allow  me  to  remark  that  you  are  mistaken  in  imagining 
that  what  you  do  not  reveal  remains  an  impenetrable  secret. 
Everything  is  known  here.  As  the  result  of  boredom  and  the 
complete  absence  of  news,  nothing  can  be  hidden  from  the  curiosity 
of  the  public.  Pray  reflect,  besides,  that  there  are  people  in  the 
island  whose  interest  it  is  to  make  everything  public,  and  who 
are  in  opposition  to  you. 

The  Governor  (furiously).  There  is  no  opposition  here. 
Bonaparte  is  my  prisoner.     There  is  no  opposition  ! 

Myself.  Do  not  fly  into  a  passion.  You  have  not  grasped  the 
meaning  of  the  word  opposition.  When  I  say  that  the  French  are 
in  opposition  to  you,  I  mean  that  between  you  and  them  there 
are  differences  of  opinion,  of  principles,  and  of  sentiments.     I  do 


35o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

not  intend  to  convey  the  impression  that  an  authority  exists  here 
that  can  counterbalance  your  own.  Permit  me  to  speak  openly 
to  you.  You  are  always  in  a  rage,  and  have  only  yourself  to 
blame,  if  one  is  reluctant  to  have  explanations  with  you.  Nobody 
cares  to  run  the  risk  of  listening  to  sottises  (de  s'entendre  dire  des 
sottises). 

The  Governor  (completely  losing  his  self-control).  What  ! 
Sottises  !  (to  his  aide-de-camp)  Gorrequer  !  Do  you  hear  ?  I 
do  stupid  things  ! 

Myself.  Pray  be  calm  !  It  never  entered  my  head  to  tell  you 
that  you  did  stupid  things.  Faire  des  sottises  and  dire  des  sottises 
have  altogether  different  meanings.  Faire  des  sottises  is  to  behave 
like  a  fool  ;  dire  des  sottises  to  somebody  means  to  insult  him. 

The  Governor.  When  have  I  ever  insulted  you  ?  Give  me 
an  instance  ! 

Myself.  A  score,  if  you  like.  Thereupon  I  went  over  the 
various  interviews  during  the  last  six  weeks  at  which  he  had 
upbraided  my  colleagues  or  myself  outrageously,  repeating  all  he 
had  told  us  and  reminding  him  of  the  expressions  and  gestures 
with  which  he  had  accompanied  his  words.  I  could  not  help 
growing  somewhat  vehement  in  my  speech,  but  did  not,  however, 
depart  from  the  truth. 

The  Governor  became  more  composed,  and  listened  to  me 
most  attentively.  When  I  had  finished,  he  tried  to  turn  back 
upon  me  the  arguments  of  which  I  had  made  use.  '  It  is  you,' 
he  told  me,  '  who  are  getting  heated  now.' 

Myself.  That  is  not  surprising  ;  you  have  exasperated  me. 

The  Gover?ior.  It  is  a  squall. 

Myself.  It  will  abate.  I  have  the  honour  of  assuring  you  that 
my  earnest  desire  is  to  be  on  good  terms  with  you.  I  would 
willingly  satisfy  you  in  every  respect  in  so  far  as  it  is  in  my 
power  to  do  so;  but  abandon,  I  beg  you,  at  our  interviews,  that 
menacing  tone,  that  air  of  authority,  and  those  fits  of  passion 
which  can  only  embitter  us.  I  have  seen  with  regret  that  our 
relations  were  becoming  strained;  I  knew  that  you  bore  Count 
Balmain  a  grudge  for  having  avoided  an  explanation  with  you  ; 
I  have  done  the  contrary,  I  have  told  you  frankly  all  I  feel.  I 
hope  this  may  draw  us  together  again  and  put  an  end  to  a 
scandalous  breach,  for  all  Europe  would  be  scandalised  at  hearing 
that   the   Governor   and   the   Commissioners  are  disunited.     Our 


NOTES  3  5 1 

cause  is  a  common  one,  and  we  should  work  in  concert  to 
achieve  it. 

The  Governor,  Why  are  my  regulations  broken  ? 

Myself.  I  defy  you  to  prove  that  I  have  ever  broken  them 
since  I  came  here.  You  attack  my  honour  by  reproaching  me 
with  it  every  instant.  Allow  me  to  ask  you  a  categorical  question  : 
Have  I  broken  them  ?     Yes  or  no  ? 

The  Governor.  No. 

Myself.  That  suffices  me.  I  shall  write  it  to  my  Court,  nothing 
more  is  required. 

The  Governor.  I  do  not  say  no. 

Myself.  Then  you  say  yes. 

The  Governor.  I  do  not  say  yes.  (I  stood  astounded  at  this 
answer.)     It  would  be  better  to  have  an  explanation  in  writing. 

Myself  There  is  no  use  of  further  explanation  ;  we  have  said 
all  there  is  to  be  said.  Besides,  my  Court  has  given  me  express 
instructions  to  avoid  discussions  in  writing. 

Thereupon  I  took  my  departure. 

There  is  so  much  that  is  strange  and  improbable  in  this 
interview  that  I  should  not  be  surprised  at  being  accused  of 
exaggeration.  I  affirm  on  my  honour  and  conscience,  that  it  is 
the  exact  truth.  .  .  ." 

Page  235.  No  doubt,  as  they  were  well  aware,  Dr. 
Verling  lived  beside  them,  and  was  entirely  at  their 
disposal.  But  Napoleon  would  always  refuse  the 
aid  of  a  surgeon  designated  by  Hudson  Lowe  alone, 
and  imposed  upon  him  after  the  brutal  expulsion  of 
O'Meara.  He  intended  to  choose  his  own  physician, 
one  in  whose  zeal  and  character  he  could  have 
confidence. 

The  Emperor  only  objected  to  Dr.  Verling  because  he  would 
have  acted  in  his  house  as  an  informer  to  the  Governor.  In 
other  respects,  this  army  surgeon  seems  to  have  been  considered 
a  good  physician  at  Longwood,  and  sometimes  attended  the 
Bertrands  and  the  Montholons. 

Page  271.  The  excursion  to  Sandy  Bay  was  the 
last  long  outing  of  the  Emperor. 


352  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

According  to  Count  de  Montholon,  Napoleon  returned  a  little 
later  and  several  times  to  Sandy  Bay.  But  the  Récits  de  la 
Captivité  is  a  book  containing  many  inaccuracies  as  regards 
facts  and  dates.  Antommarchi,  in  Les  Derniers  Moments  de 
Napoleon,  only  mentions  the  excursion  of  the  4th  of  October. 
It  is  true  that  he  also  is  far  from  being  a  reliable  memorialist. 
But  the  English  watched  the  Emperor's  movements  very  closely, 
and  never  failed  to  note  them.  The  excursion  of  the  4th  of 
October  is  the  only  one  mentioned  in  their  records.  See  Forsyth, 
History  of  the  Captivity.  See  also  the  letters  of  Major  Harrison 
to  Sir  George  and  Lady  Bingham,  published  in  the  Cortihill 
Magazine  of  February  1901,  under  the  title  of  "More  Light  on 
Saint  Helena."  See,  lastly,  the  book  by  Brooke,  History  of  the 
Island  of  Saint  Helena,  2nd  éd.,  1824. 

Page  277.  The  surgeon  of  the  20th,  like  too 
many  people  at  Saint  Helena,  was  full  of  scepticism 
as  regards  the  illness  for  which  his  services  were 
required,  and  at  the  outset  he  entirely  failed  to 
realise  the  gravity  of  the  case. 

Dr.  Arnott  is  careful  not  to  mention  this  scepticism  in  his 
pamphlet,  and  on  the  contrary  makes  himself  out  to  have  been 
alarmed  about  the  state  of  Napoleon  from  the  outset.  With  the 
praiseworthy  intention  of  protecting  the  reputation  of  a  colleague, 
he  also  conceals  the  conduct  of  Antommarchi  and  his  frequent 
non-appearance  at  the  visits  paid  to  the  sickroom  during  the 
thirty-five  last  days  of  the  Emperor.  Antommarchi  does  not 
prove  very  grateful  for  this  delicate  proceeding  in  his  book,  in 
which,  on  the  other  hand,  he  displays  a  propensity  even  greater 
than  that  of  Arnott  for  relating  all  the  facts  to  his  credit. 

Page  291.  On  the  26th,  he  (Napoleon)  was  seized 
with  fever.  ...  In  the  evening  he  talked  with  the 
Grand  Marshal  about  his  son.  The  Court  of  Vienna, 
he  said,  would  endeavour,  perhaps,  to  make  a  priest  of 
him,  a  cardinal  ;  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  must  never 
consent  to  this  abdication;  his  French  supporters  should 
try  to  obtain  intelligence  about  his  education,  and,  if 


NOTES  353 

necessary,  exert    themselves,   as    far    as    possible,    to 
counteract  the  influence  of  the  Austrian  tutors. 

In  this  conversation,  Napoleon  also  said  to  Bertrand  that 
Madame  Mere  ought  to  leave  more  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  than 
to  any  other  of  her  grandchildren,  and  that  Pauline  and  Cardinal 
Fesch  should  do  the  same  {Mémoires  et  correspondance  politique  du 
roi  Joseph,  publiés,  annotés  et  mis  en  ordre  par  A.  Du  Casse).  See 
in  the  same  work  two  other  conversations,  of  the  22nd  and  the 
24th  of  April,  in  which  Napoleon  traces  to  Bertrand  the  policy  that 
the  Bonaparte  family  is  to  follow  after  his  death. 

Page  301.  The  room  in  which  the  great  captain 
has  just  expired  is  immediately  filled  with  shrieks, 
with  lamentations,  and  with  tears. 

"I  conceive,"  Dr.  Arnott  says  in  his  pamphlet,  "it  would  be 
an  injustice  to  those  distinguished  personages  who  composed 
Napoleon  Bonaparte's  family,  Count  and  Countess  Bertrand,  and 
Count  Montholon,  as  well  as  to  Monsieur  Marchand,  his  first  valet, 
if  I  were  not  to  mention  here  their  unremitting  care  and  attention  to 
him  in  his  last  illness  ;  no  language  of  mine  can  sufficiently  express 
the  solicitude  they  evinced  for  his  recovery,  and  how  eagerly  they 
vied  with  each  other  in  administering  those  little  attentions,  more 
easily  conceived  than  described,  but  so  essential  and  soothing  on  a 
sick  bed.  The  scene  of  sorrow  Longwood  House  presented  on 
the  evening  that  great  and  extraordinary  man  breathed  his  last,  will 
never  be  erased  from  my  memory." 

Page  303.  The  admissions  contained  in  the 
official  report  on  the  post-mortem  examination,  and 
the  fuller,  private  statement  of  Antommarchi.   .   .   . 

OFFICIAL  REPORT. 

On  a  superficial  view  the  body  appeared  very  fat,  which  state 
was  confirmed  by  the  first  incision  down  its  centre,  where  the  fat 
was  upwards  of  one  inch  thick  over  the  sternum,  and  one  inch 
and  a  half  over  the  abdomen. 

On  cutting  through  the  cartilages  of  the  ribs,  and  exposing  the 
cavity  of  the  thorax,  a  trifling  adhesion  of  the  left  pleura  to  the 
23 


354  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

pleura  costalis  was  found  ;  about  three  ounces  of  reddish  fluid  were 
contained  in  the  left  cavity,  and  nearly  eight  ounces  in  the  right. 

The  lungs  were  quite  sound. 

The  pericardium  was  natural,  and  contained  about  an  ounce 
of  fluid. 

The  heart  was  of  the  natural  size,  but  thickly  covered  with  fat  ; 
the  auricles  and  ventricles  exhibited  nothing  extraordinary,  except 
that  the  muscular  parts  appeared  rather  paler  than  natural. 

Upon  opening  the  abdomen,  the  momentum  was  found  remark- 
ably fat,  and  on  exposing  the  stomach,  that  viscus  was  found  the 
seat  of  extensive  disease  ;  strong  adhesions  connected  the  whole 
superior  surface,  particularly  about  the  pyloric  extremity,  to  the 
concave  surface  of  the  left  lobe  of  the  liver  ;  and  on  separating 
these,  an  ulcer,  which  penetrated  the  coats  of  the  stomach, 
was  discovered  one  inch  from  the  pylorus,  sufficient  to  allow 
the  passage  of  the  little  finger.  The  internal  surface  of  the 
stomach,  to  nearly  its  whole  extent,  was  a  mass  of  cancerous 
disease,  or  schirrous  portions,  advancing  to  cancer;  this  was 
particularly  noticed  near  the  pylorus.  The  cardiac  extremity,  for  a 
small  space  near  the  termination  of  the  sesophagus,  was  the  only 
part  appearing  in  a  healthy  state.  The  stomach  was  found  nearly 
filled  with  a  large  quantity  of  fluid,  resembling  coffee  grounds. 

The  convex  surface  of  the  left  lobe  of  the  liver  adhered  to  the 
diaphragm,  but  with  the  exception  of  the  adhesions  occasioned  by 
the  disease  in  the  stomach,  no  unhealthy  appearance  presented 
itself  in  the  liver. 

The  remainder  of  the  abdominal  viscera  were  in  a  healthy  state. 

A  slight  peculiarity  in   the   formation   of  the  left  kidney  was 
observed. 
(Signed) 

Thomas  Shortt,  Physician  and  P.M.O. 
Arch.  Arnott,  M.D.,  Surgeon  20th  Regiment. 
Charles  Mitchell,  M.D.,  Surgeon  H.M.S.  Vigo. 
Francis  Burton,  M.D.,  Surgeon  66th  Regiment. 
Mathew  Livingstone,  Surgeon  H.C.  Service. 

ANTOMMARCHI'S  REPORT 

1.  The  Emperor  had  grown  considerably  thinner  since  my 
arrival  at  Saint  Helena  :  his  bulk  was  not  a  fourth  part  of  what  it 
had  been. 


NOTES  355 

2.  The  face  and  body  were  pale,  but  free  from  alteration  or  a 
cadaverous  aspect.  The  expression  of  the  features  was  fine  ;  the 
eyes  were  closed  ;  and  it  might  have  been  thought,  not  that  the 
Emperor  was  dead,  but  that  he  was  reposing  in  profound  sleep. 
His  mouth  preserving  a  smiling  expression,  with  the  exception  of  a 
slight  contraction  of  the  left  side,  caused  by  the  convulsive  smile 
observed  in  his  last  moments. 

3.  The  body  exhibited  the  wound  occasioned  by  an  issue  in  the 
left  arm,  and  several  scars,  namely,  one  on  the  head  ;  three  on 
the  left  leg,  one  of  which  was  on  the  malleoltis  extemus  1  ;  one  at 
the  extremity  of  the  digitus  annularis  2  of  the  left  hand,  and  several 
in  the  left  thigh. 

4.  The  entire  height  of  the  body  from  the  top  of  the  head  to 
the  heels  was  five  feet  two  inches  and  four  lines.3 

5.  The  extent  from  the  extremity  of  the  middle  finger  of  one 
hand  to  that  of  the  other  was  five  feet  two  inches. 

6.  From  the  symphysis  of  the  as  pubis,  the  length  was  two  feet 
seven  inches  and  four  lines. 

7.  From  the  os  pubis  to  the  calcaneumf  the  length  was  two  feet 
seven  inches. 

8.  The  length  from  the  top  of  the  head  to  the  chin  was  seven 
inches  and  six  lines. 

9.  The  circumference  of  the  head  was  twenty  inches  and  ten 
lines.  The  forehead  was  high,  the  temples  slightly  depressed,  the 
sinciput'0  wide  and  very  strongly  defined. 

10.  Hair  thin,  and  of  a  light  chestnut  colour. 

n.  Neck  rather  short,  but  tolerably  well  proportioned. 
12.  Chest  wide  and  well  formed. 


Abdomen  considerably  swelled  and  voluminous. 


14.  Hands  and  feet  rather  small. 

15.  Limbs  stiff  and  extended. 

16.  All  the  other  parts  of  the  body  were  nearly  in  the  ordinary 
proportions.  .  .  . 

The  corpse  had  now  been  lying  more  than  twenty  hours  ;  and  I 
therefore  proceeded  to  the  autopsy. 

1  Part  of  the  ankle. 

2  The  ring  or  fourth  finger. 

s  French  measure,  equal  to  5  feet  6  $£  inches. 

4  Heel. 

5  The  fore  part  of  the  skull. 


356  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

I  first  opened  the  chest,  and  the  most  remarkable  appearances 
it  exhibited  were  the  following  : — 

The  cartilages  of  the  ribs  were  for  the  most  part  ossified. 

The  sac  formed  by  the  costal  pleura x  of  the  left  side  contained 
about  a  glass  of  fluid  of  a  citrine  colour. 

A  slight  coat  of  coagulable  lymph  covered  part  of  the  surfaces 
of  the  costal  and  pulmonary  pleurœ.  corresponding  to  the  same  side. 

The  left  lung  was  slightly  compressed  by  the  effusion,  and 
adhered  by  numerous  threads  to  the  posterior  and  lateral  parts  of 
the  chest,  and  to  the  pericardium.'2'  I  carefully  dissected  it,  and 
found  the  superior  lobe  covered  with  tuberculœ 3  and  some  small 
tuberculous  excavations. 

A  slight  coat  of  coagulable  lymph  covered  part  of  the  surfaces 
of  the  costal  and  pulmonary  pleurœ  corresponding  to  that  side. 

The  sac  of  the  costal  pleura  on  the  right  side  contained  about 
two  glasses  of  fluid  of  a  citrine  colour. 

The  right  lung  was  slightly  compressed  by  effusion,  but  its 
parenchyma^  was  in  a  healthy  state.  Both  lungs  were,  generally 
speaking,  firm  (crepitans),  and  of  their  natural  colour.  The  mucous 
membrane  of  the  trachea-arteria  5  and  of  the  bronchiœ  °  was  tolerably 
red,  and  lined  with  a  rather  considerable  quantity  of  pituitous 
matter,  thick  and  viscous. 

Many  of  the  ganglions  7  of  the  bronchia,  and  of  the  mediastinum,8 
were  rather  enlarged,  almost  degenerated,  and  in  a  state  of 
suppuration. 

The  pericardium  was  in  a  healthy  state,  and  contained  about  an 
ounce  of  fluid  of  a  citrine  colour.  The  heart,  which  was  rather 
larger  than  the  fist  of  the  subject,  exhibited,  though  sound,  a  rather 
abundant  proportion  of  fat  at  its  base  and  on  its  ridges. 

The  spleen,  and  the  liver,  which  was  hardened,  were  very  large 
and  distended  with  blood.     The  texture  of  the  liver,  which  was  of 

1  A  membrane  which  lines  the  internal  surface  of  the  thorax  or  chest,  and 
covers  its  viscera. 

3  A  membranous  bag  that  surrounds  the  heart. 

3  Small  tumours. 

4  Texture,  or  connecting  medium  of  the  substance  of  the  lungs, 

5  Wind-pipe. 

6  Ramifications  of  the  wind-pipe  through  the  lungs. 

7  Knot  or  protuberance. 

8  A  membrane  occupying  the  middle  of  the  thorax  or  chest,  and  dividing  its 
cavity  into  two  parts. 


NOTES  357 

a  brownish-red  colour,  did  not,  however,  exhibit  any  remarkable 
alteration  of  structure.  The  vesica  fellis1  was  filled  and  distended 
with  very  thick  and  clotted  bile.  The  liver,  which  was  affected  by 
chronic  hepatitis,  closely  adhered  by  its  convex  surface  to  the 
diaphragm  ; 2  the  adhesion  occupied  the  whole  extent  of  that  organ, 
and  was  strong,  cellular,  and  of  long  existence. 

The  concave  surface  of  the  left  lobe  adhered  closely  and  strongly 
to  the  corresponding  part  of  the  stomach,  particularly  along  the 
small  curve  of  that  organ,  and  to  the  epiploon,  aorta,z  and  pulmonary 
ventricles,4  and  the  corresponding  auricles4  were  in  a  state  of 
proper  conformation,  but  pale,  and  contained  no  blood.  The 
orifices  did  not  exhibit  the  appearance  of  any  material  injury.  The 
large  arterial  and  venous  vessels  about  the  heart  were  likewise 
empty,  although  generally  in  a  state  of  proper-  conformation. 

The  abdomen  exhibited  the  following  appearances  : — 

Distension  of  the  peritoticeu?n,b  produced  by  a  great  quantity  of 
gas. 

A  soft,  transparent,  and  diffluent  exudation  lining  the  whole 
extent  of  the  internal  surface  of  the  peritonœum. 

The  epiploon 6  was  in  a  state  of  proper  conformation. 

At  every  point  of  contact  the  lobe  was  sensibly  thickened, 
swelled,  and  hardened. 

The  stomach  appeared,  at  first  sight,  in  a  perfectly  healthy  state  ; 
no  trace  of  irritation  or  phlogosis,7  and  the  peritonœal  membrane 
exhibited  the  most  satisfactory  appearance  ;  but  on  examining  that 
organ  with  care,  I  discovered  on  its  anterior  surface,  near  the  small 
curve,  and  at  the  breadth  of  three  fingers  from  the  pylorus,5  a  slight 
obstruction,  apparently  of  a  scirrhous  nature,  of  little  extent  and 
exactly  circumscribed.  The  stomach  was  perforated  through  and 
through  in  the  centre  of  that  small  induration,  the  aperture  of  which 
was  closed  by  the  adhesion  of  that  part  to  the  left  lobe  of  the  liver. 

The  volume  of  the  stomach  was  smaller  than  it  is  usually  found. 

On  opening  that  organ  along  its  large  curve,  I  observed  that 

1  Gall  bladder. 

2  Or  midriff,  a  muscle  that  separates  the  thorax  from  the  abdomen. 

3  One  of  the  great  arteries  of  the  heart. 

4  Cavities  in  or  about  the  heart. 

5  Membrane  enclosing  the  bowels. 

6  A  thin  membrane  floating  over  part  of  the  intestines. 

7  Tumour  with  inflammation,  heat,  and  pain. 

8  The  lower  orifice  of  the  stomach. 


358  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

part  of  its  capacity  was  filled  with  a  considerable  quantity  of 
matters,  slightly  consistent,  and  mixed  with  a  great  quantity  of 
glarious  substances,  very  thick  and  of  a  colour  resembling  the 
sediment  of  coffee,  and  which  exhaled  an  acrid  and  infectious 
odour.  These  substances  being  removed,  the  mucous  membrane 
of  the  stomach  was  ascertained  to  be  sound  from  the  small  to 
the  large  cavity  of  this  organ,  following  the  great  curve.  Almost 
the  whole  of  the  remainder  of  the  internal  surface  of  the  stomach 
was  occupied  by  a  cancerous  ulcer,  the  centre  of  which  was  in  the 
upper  part,  along  the  small  curve  of  the  stomach,  whilst  the 
irregular  digital  and  linguiform  borders  of  its  circumference  ex- 
tended both  before  and  behind  that  internal  surface,  and  from  the 
orifice  of  the  cardia  x  to  within  a  good  inch  of  the  pylorus.  Its 
rounded  opening,  obliquely  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  basil  at  the 
expense  of  the  internal  surface  of  the  organ,  scarcely  occupied  a 
diameter  of  four  or  five  lines  inside,  and  at  most  two  lines  and 
a  half  outside.  The  circular  border  of  that  opening  was  extremely 
thin,  slightly  denticulated,  blackish,  and  only  formed  by  the 
peritonseal  membrane  of  the  stomach.  An  ulcerous,  greyish,  and 
smooth  surface  lined  this  kind  of  canal,  which,  but  for  the 
adhesion  of  the  liver,  would  have  established  a  communication 
between  the  cavity  of  the  stomach  and  that  of  the  abdomen. 
The  right  extremity  of  the  stomach  at  the  distance  of  an  inch 
from  the  pylorus  was  in  a  perfect  state.  The  lips  of  the  ulcer 
exhibited  remarkable  fungous  swellings,  the  bases  of  which  were 
hard,  thick,  and  in  a  scirrhous  state,  and  extended  also  over  the 
whole  surface  occupied  by  that  cruel  disease. 

The  little  epiploon  was  contracted,  swollen,  very  much  hardened, 
and  degenerated.  The  lymphatic  glands  of  that  peritonseal 
membrane,  those  placed  along  the  curves  of  the  stomach,  as  well 
as  those  near  the  pillars  of  the  diaphragm,  were  in  part  tumefied 
and  scirrhous,  some  even  in  a  state  of  suppuration. 

The  digestive  canal  was  distended  by  the  presence  of  a  great 
quantity  of  gas.  I  observed  in  the  surface  and  in  the  sinuosities 
of  the  peritoneum,  small  specks  and  patches  of  a  pale  red  colour, 
of  various  dimensions,  and  scattered  at  some  distance  from  each 
other.  The  mucous  membrane  of  this  canal  appeared  to  be  in 
a  sound  state.  The  large  intestines  were  covered  with  a  substance 
of  a  blackish  colour  and  extremely  viscous. 

1  The  upper  orifice  oi  the  stomach. 


NOTES  359 

The  right  kidney  was  sound;  that  on  the  left  side  was  out 
of  its  place,  being  thrown  back  upon  the  lumbar  vertebra?  :  it 
was  longer  and  narrower  than  the  other;  in  other  respects  it 
appeared  sound. 

The  bladder,  which  was  empty  and  much  contracted,  contained 
a  certain  quantity  of  gravel,  mixed  with  some  calculi?-  Numerous 
red  spots  were  scattered  upon  its  mucous  membrane,  and  the 
coats  of  the  organ  were  in  a  diseased  state. 

Page  306.  On  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  May,  the 
body  was  placed  in  a  triple  coffin  of  tin,  of  lead, 
and  of  mahogany. 

To  be  strictly  accurate,  the  Emperor's  body  was  placed  in  a 
first  coffin  of  mahogany,  lined  inside  with  tin.  This  coffin  was 
enclosed  in  a  second,  made  of  lead;  and  the  latter  in  a  third, 
of  mahogany. 

Page  308.  On  that  day,  in  the  presence  of 
Prince  de  Joinville,  sent  by  King  Louis-Philippe, 
and  of  Marshal  Bertrand,  General  Gourgaud, 
Baron  Emmanuel  de  Las  Cases  and  Marchand,  who 
had  returned  to  Saint  Helena,  the  tomb  was  opened. 

Saint  -  Denis,  Noverraz,  Pierron,  Archambault,  and  Arthur 
Bertrand,  one  of  the  Grand  Marshal's  sons,  had  also  returned 
to  Saint  Helena. 

Gourgaud  has  left  an  account  of  this  pilgrimage  of  1840,  which 
was  published  in  the  Nouvelle  Revue  Rétrospective  of  January  10th, 
1898.  He  is  seen  there  to  be  true  to  his  character.  Speaking 
of  the  first  visit  of  the  Frenchmen  to  the  Emperor's  tomb,  after 
the  disembarkation,  he  says  :  "  I  cannot  express  what  I  felt  on 
finding  myself  near  that  extraordinary  being,  that  giant  of  the 
human  race,  to  whom  I  had  sacrificed  all,  and  to  whom  also  I 
owed  all  I  was."  A  little  further  we  learn  that  he  had  a  dispute 
with  Captain  Hernoux  of  the  Belle  Poule  frigate,  and  that  he 
picked  a  quarrel  with  Emmanuel  Las  Cases  about  a  question 
of  precedency. 

1  Stones. 


36o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

This  book  must  not  be  brought  to  a  close 
without  a  word  of  thanks  to  one  whose  Napoleonic 
library — the  most  complete,  perhaps,  in  existence — 
spirit  of  research,  and  extremely  vast  and  accurate 
knowledge  are  known  to  all  who  are  interested  in 
the  Imperial  epoch.  The  author  expresses  his  deep 
gratitude  to  his  friend,  François  Castanié,  who  has 
procured  for  him  several  rare  documents,  and,  for 
years,  has  communicated  every  piece  of  information 
he  happened  to  discover  that  was  connected,  directly 
or  remotely,  with  Saint  Helena. 


A    SUMMARY    BIBLIOGRAPHY   OF 
SAINT    HELENA 


I. 

Publications    relative    to    the    Island    of    Saint   Helena 
itself,  its  Geographical  Features  and  Aspect. 

A  Description  of  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  containing  Observa- 
tions on  its  singular  Structure  and  Formation,  and  an  Account 

of  its  Climate,  Natural  History,  and  Inhabitants.      London, 

printed  for  R.  Phillips,  1805. 
History  of  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  from  its  Discovery  by  the 

Portuguese  to  the  year  1806.     By  T.  H.  Brooke.     London, 

printed  for  Black,  Parry,  &  Kingsbury,  1808. 
The  Geographical  Plan  of  the  Island  and  Forts  of  Saint  Helena. 

By   Lieutenant   R.    P.    Read.      London,    Burgis   &  Barfoot, 

1815. 
Views  of  St.  Helena.     By  G.  H.  Bellasis.     London,  18 15.     Oblong 

folio. 
Five  Views  of  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  from  Drawings  taken  on 

the  spot,  to  which  is  added  a  Concise  Account  of  the  Island. 

By   Lieutenant   W.    Innes    Pocock,  R.N.      London,  S.  &  J. 

Fuller,  181 5.     Folio. 
Tracts  relative  to  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena.     By  Major-General 

Alexander  Beatson,  late   Governor.     London,  printed  by  W. 

Bulmer  &  Co.,  1816. 
A  Tour  through  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  with  some  Particulars 

respecting  the  Arrival  and  Detention  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

By  Captain  John  Barnes,  Town  Major,  and  Civil  and  Military 

Surveyor  in  the  Company's  Service  in  the  Island.     London, 

Richardson,  1817. 

361 


362  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

The  Geognosy  of  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  illustrated  in  a  Series 
of  Views,  Plans  and  Sections,  accompanied  with  Explanatory 
Remarks  and  Observations.  By  Robert  F.  Seale.  London. 
Ackermann  &  Co.,  1834.     Oblong  folio. 

A  Guide  to  Saint  Helena.  By  Joseph  Lockwood.  St.  Helena, 
printed  and  published  by  Geo.  Gibb,  185 1. 

Souvenir  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  consisting  of  Six  Drawings  made 
in  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  representing  the  various  spots 
rendered  generally  interesting  from  their  association  with  the 
history  of  Napoleon.  By  Lieutenant  F.  R.  Slack.  London, 
E.  Gamburt  &  Co.,  1891.     Folio. 

Sainte-Hélène.  Par  E.  Masselin,  capitaine  du  génie.  Paris,  Henri 
Pion,  1862. 

Saint  Helena,  by  a  Bird  of  Passage  :  A  Guide  to  all  the  Places  of 
Interest  in  the  Island.  Published  by  Houlston  &  Wright. 
London,  1865. 

The  Geology  of  Saint  Helena.  By  Captain  J.  R.  Oliver,  R.A.  St. 
Helena,  Benjamin  Grant,  1869. 

Saint  Helena.  A  Physical,  Historical  and  Topographical  Description 
of  the  Island,  including  its  Geology,  Fauna,  Flora  and  Meteor- 
ology. By  John  Charles  Melliss,  late  Commissioner  of  Crown 
property,  Surveyor  and  Engineer  of  the  Colony.  London, 
Reeve  &  Co.,  1875. 

Précis  of  Information  concerning  the  Island  of  St.  Helena,  prepared 
at  Saint  Helena  by  the  Governor  and  the  Colonel  command- 
ing the  Troops.  St  Helena,  printed  at  the  Government 
Printing  Office,  1876. 

A  Few  Notes  on  St.  Helena,  and  Descriptive  Guide.  By  Benjamin 
Grant.  St.  Helena,  printed  and  published  by  Benjamin 
Grant,  1883. 

A  Report  upon  the  Present  Position  and  Prospects  of  the  Agricultural 
Resources  of  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena.  By  D.  Morris. 
Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Colonial  Office.     London,  1884. 

St.  Helena.  By  a  Prisoner  of  War.  National  Review,  Oct. 
1902. 

Saint  Helena,  the  Historic  Island,  from  its  Discovery  to  the  Present 
Date.  By  E.  L.  •  Jackson.  London,  Ward,  Lock,  &  Co., 
1903. 

Scraps  of  the  St.  Helena  Records.     Saint  Helena.     N.D. 


A  SUMMARY  BIBLIOGRAPHY  363 


II. 

Publications   relative   to   the    Captivity   of   Napoleon   at 

St.  Helena. 

An  Extract  from  a  Journal  kept  on  board  H.M.S.  Bellerophon,  from 
July  19,  1815,  to  August  7,  1815.  By  Lieutenant  John 
Bowerbank.  London,  printed  for  Whittingham  &  Arliss, 
1815. 

Interesting  Particulars  of  Napoleon's  Deportation  for  Life  to  St. 
Helena.     London,  printed  for  W.  Hone,  1816. 

Letters  written  on  Board  His  Majesty's  Ship  the  Northumberland 
and  at  St.  Helena,  in  which  the  Conduct  and  Conversations  of 
Napoleon  Buonaparte  and  his  Suite  during  the  Voyage  and  the 
first  three  months  of  his  Residence  in  that  Island  are  faithfully 
described  and  related  by  William  Warden,  surgeon  on  board 
the  Northumberland.     London,  R.  Ackermann,  181 6. 

An  Appeal  to  the  British  Nation  on  the  Treatment  experienced  by 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  in  the  Island  of  St.  Helena.  By  M. 
Santine,  huissier  du  cabinet  de  l'Empereur.     London,  18 16. 

Letters  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  reply  to  Mr.  Warden, 
with  Extracts  from  the  Great  Work  now  compiling  for  publica- 
tion under  the  Inspection  of  Napoleon.  London,  Ridgway, 
1817. 

Letters  from  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  exposing  the  unnecessary 
severity  exercised  towards  Napoleon.     London,  Ridgway,  18 18. 

Observations  on  Lord  Bathurst's  Speech  in  the  House  of  Peers. 
London,  printed  for  Longman,  Hurst,  Rees,  Orme,  & 
Brown,  1818. 

Facts  illustrative  of  the  Treatment  of  Napoleon  Buonaparte  in  Saint 
Helena,  being  the  Result  of  Minute  Inquiries  and  Personal 
Research  in  that  Island.  London,  printed  for  William  Stock- 
dale,  1819.1 

An  Exposition  of  some  of  the  Transactions  that  have  taken  place  at 
Saint  Helena  since  the  appointment  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  as 
Governor  of  that  Island,  in  Answer  to  an  anonymous  pamphlet 
entitled,  Facts  Illustrative  of  the  Treatment  of  Napoleo?i  Buona- 
parte. By  B.  E.  O'Meara.  London,  printed  for  James 
Ridgway,   1S19. 

1  By  Theodore  Hook. 


364  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Apologie  de  Napoléon,  suivie  du  tableau  de  ses  soufframes  à  Sainte 
Hélène.  Par  le  Comte  de  Las  Cases.  Paris,  librairie  départe- 
mentale, 182 1. 

An  Account  of  the  Last  Illness,  Disease  and  Post-mortem  Appear- 
ances of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  By  Archibald  Arnott,  M.D. 
London,  John  Murray,  1822. 

Napoleon  in  Exile,  or  a  Voice  from  Saint  Helena.  By  B.  E.  O'Meara. 
London,  Jones,  1822,  2  vols.1 

Memorial  de  Sainte-Hélène,  Journal  de  la  vie  privée  et  du  conver- 
sations de  l'Empereur  Napoléon  à  Sainte-Hélène.  Par  le  Comte 
de  Las  Cases.     Londres,  1823,  4  torn. 

Memorial  de  Sainte-Hélène  ou  journal  où  se  trouve  consigné  jour 
par  jour  ce  qu'  a  dit  et  fait  Napoléon  pendant  dix-huit  mois. 
Paris,  chez  l'auteur,  1823,  8  vol. 

Recueil  de  pièces  authentiques  sur  le  captif  de  Sainte- Hélène. 
Paris,  Corréard,  1821-1825,  12  vol. 

Mémoires  du  docteur  F.  Antommarchi  ou  Les  Derniers  moments 
de  Napoléon.     Paris,  Barrois,  1825,  2  vol. 

Narrative  of  the  Surrender  of  Buonaparte,  and  of  his  Residence  on 
Board  H.M.S.  Bellerophon.  By  Captain  F.  L.  Maitland. 
London,  published  by  Henry  Colburn,  1826. 

Réfutation  de  la  relation  du  capitaine  Maitland,  commandant  le 
Bellérophon,  touchant  l'embarquement  de  Napoléon  à  son  bord. 
Rédigée  par  M.  Barthe.    Paris,  Ambroise  Dupont  et  Cie.,  1827. 

Napoléon  à  Sainte-Hélène,  opinion  d'un  médecin  sur  la  maladie 
de  l'Empereur  Napoléon  et  sur  la  cause  de  sa  mort,  offerte  à 
son  fils  au  jour  de  sa  majorité  par  J.  Héreau,  ancien  chirurgien 
ordinaire  de  Madame  Mère,  et  premier  chirurgien  de  l'Im- 
pératrice Marie-Louise.     Paris,  F.  Louis,  1829. 

Bonaparte's  Voyage  to  Saint  Helena.  By  Rear-Admiral  G.  Cock- 
burn.     Boston,  Lily,  1 833.2 

Reminiscences  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  at  Saint  Helena.  By  a  Lady. 
Blackwood? s  Magazine,  1834. 

Memoirsof  an  Aristocratand  Reminiscences ofthe  Emperor  Napoleon. 
By  a  Midshipman  of  the  Belleropho?i.    London,  Whittaker,  1 838. 

1  Recently  re-edited  under  the  title,  Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena.  Richard 
Bentley  &  Son.     London,  1888. 

2  Republished  under  the  title,  Extract  from  a  Diary  of 'Rear-Admiral Sir  George 
Cockbum,  with  particular  reference  to  General  Napoleon  Ruonaparte  on  the  pas- 
sage from  England  to  Saint  Helena  in  1815.     Simpkin,  Marshall,  &  Co.,  1888. 


A  SUMMARY  BIBLIOGRAPHY  365 

Chevalier  de  Beauterne.  Sentiments  de  Napoléon  sur  le 
christianisme,  consecrations  religieuses  recueillies  à  Sainte- 
Hélène  par  le  Comte  de  Montholon.     Paris,  Waille,  1841. 

Recollections  of  Saint  Helena.  By  Lieutenant-Colonel  Basil 
Jackson,  United  Service  Magazine,  Oct.  and  Nov.  1843.1 

Recollections  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  during  the  first  Three  Years 
of  his  Captivity  in  the  Island  of  Saint  Helena,  including  the 
time  of  his  Residence  at  her  Father's  House,  "Briars."  By 
Mrs.  Abell  (late  Miss  Elizabeth  Balcombe).  London,  John 
Murray,  1844.2 

Récits  de  la  captivité  de  l'Empereur  Napoléon  à  Sainte-Hélène, 
par  le  général  de  Montholon.     Paris,  Paulin,  1847,  2  vol. 

History  of  the  Captivity  of  Napoleon  at  Saint  Helena,  from 
the  Letters  and  Journal  of  the  late  Lieutenant-Governor  Sir 
Hudson  Lowe.  By  William  Forsyth,  M.A.  London,  John 
Murray,  1853,  3  vol. 

Sainte-Hélène.     Par  M.  A.  Thiers.     Paris,  Lheureux  et  Cie.,  1862. 

Berichte  aus  Saint  Helena  zur  zeit  des  dortigen  internierung  Napoleon 
Bonaparte's.  Herausgegeben  von  Hanns  Shlitter.  Wien, 
Gerold,  1886. 

Taking  Napoleon  to  Saint  Helena.  From  the  Diary  of  J.  R. 
Glover,  Secretary  to  Admiral  Cockburn,  The  Century  Maga- 
zine, Oct.  and  Nov.  1893.3 

La  captivité  de  Sainte-Hélène,  d'après  les  rapports  inédits  du 
marquis  de  Montchenu.  Par  Georges  Firmin-Didot.  Paris, 
librairie  A.  Firmin-Didot  et  Cie.,  1894. 

La  bibliothèque  de  Napoléon  à  Sainte-Hélène.  Par  Victor  Advielle. 
Paris,  Lechevalier,  1894. 

Le  prisonnier  de  Sainte- Hélène.  D'après  les  rapports  officiels  du 
commissaire  du  gouvernement  russe  (1816-1821).  Paris, 
Revue  bleue  du  8  Mai  au  12  Juin  1897. 

1  Also  to  be  found  in  Notes  and  Reminiscences  of  a  Staff  Officer,  chiefly 
relating  to  the  Waterloo  Campaign  and  to  Saint  Helena  matters  during  the 
Captivity  of  Napoleon,  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Basil  Jackson.  Printed  for  private 
circulation.     London,  Harrison  and  Sons,  1877. 

2  Second  edition,  1853  ;  third  edition,  Recollections  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
on  the  island  of  Saint  Helena,  by  Mrs.  Abell,  7-evisedaud  added  to  by  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Charles  Johnstone.    London,  Sampson  Low,  Marston,  Low,  &  Searle,  1873. 

3  Published  again  together  with  Sir  E.  Ussher's  narrative  of  the  deportation  of 
Napoleon  to  Elba,  in  one  volume,  called  :  Napoleon's  Last  Voyages.  London, 
Fisher  Unwin,  1895. 


366  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Souvenirs  de  la  Comtesse  de  Montholon  sur  Sainte-Hélène,  publiés 

par  le  vicomte  de  Couedic.     Paris,  Caznet  historique  et  littér- 
aire, 1898. 
Une    Soirée   à   Sainte    Hélène,   d'après    les    notes   du   général  de 

Montholon.    Paris,  Caznet  historique  et  littéraire,  17  Mai  1898. 
Sir  Hudson   Lowe  and  Napoleon.     By  R.  C.   Seaton.     London, 

David  Nutt,  1898.1 
A    Diary   of  Saint-Helena   (1816-1817):    The   Journal   of  Lady 

Malcolm,  containing  the  Conversation  of  Napoleon  with  Sir 

Pulteney  Malcolm.     Edited  by  Sir  Arthur  Wilson.     London, 

A.  D.  Innes  &  Co.,  1899. 
A  Visit  to  Longwood.     By  Herbert  John  Clifford.     The  Comhill 

Magazine,  1899. 
Général  baron  Gourgaud  :  Sainte-Hélène,  journal  inédit  de  1817  à 

1 81 8,  avec  préface  et  notes  de  M. M.  le  vicomte  de  Grouchy 

et  Antoine  Guillois.     Paris,  Ernest  Flammarion,  1899,  2  vol. 
Napoleon,    The    Last    Phase.      By   Lord    Rosebery.      Arthur   L. 

Humphreys,  1900. 
Talks  with  Napoleon  ;   His  life  and  Conversation  at  St.  Helena. 

The  original  record  made  by  Napoleon's  physician,  Dr.  Barry 

E   O'Meara,  The  Century  Magazine,  February,  April,  1900. 
Napoléon  prisonnier,   mémoires   d'un   médecin   de   l'Empereur   à 

Sainte-Hélène.    Par  Paul  Frémeaux.   Paris,  Ernest  Flammarion, 

1901. 
Colonel  Wilks   and   Napoleon.     Two   Conversations   held   at   St. 

Helena  in  181 6.   Edited  by  Julian  S.  Corbett.   London,  Murray, 

1 901. 
Souvenirs  de  Sainte-Hélène  par  la  comtesse  de  Montholon,  1S15- 

18 16.  Edités  par  le  comte  Fleury.  Paris,  Emile  Paul,  1901. 
More  Light  on  St.  Helena  :  being  Extracts  from  the  Letters  and 

Journals  of  Sir    George   Bingham,    Lady   Bingham,    Colonel 

Mansel    and    Colonel    Gorrequer,     The    Comhill    Magazine, 

January,  February,  1901.2 
Napoleon:  Extracts  from  the  Times  and  Morning  Chronicle — 18 15- 

182 1 — relating  to  Napoleon's   Life  at  St.  Helena.     London, 

privately  printed  by  A.  L.  Humphreys,  1901. 

1  Second  edition  :  Napoleon's  Captivity  in  Relation  to  Sir  Hudson  Lowe. 
London,  George  Bell  &  Sons,  1903. 

a  Part  of  these  letters  was  first  published  in  Blackwood. }s  Magazine,  October, 
1896. 


A  SUMMARY  BIBLIOGRAPHY  367 

The  Funeral  of  Napoleon,  and  his  Last  Papers,  by  J.  Holland  Rose. 

The  English  Historical  Review,  April,  1902. 
Napoleon's  Detention  at   St.   Helena,  by  Dr.   J.   Holland   Rose. 

Owen1  s  Historical  Essays,  London,  1902. 
Un  Lyonnais  à  Sainte-Hélène  (1816-1821).    Par  P.  Gonnard,  Lyon, 

A.  Rey  et  Cie,  1903. 
Sainte-Hélène.      Les  origines  de  la  légende  napoléonienne.     Par 

Philippe  Gonnard.     Paris,  Calmann  Levy,  1906. 
Autour  de  Sainte-Hélène.    Par  Frédéric  Masson.    Paris,  1908,  2  vol. 
Sir     Hudson    Lowe,    lieutenant-général,     K.C.B.       Par    Frédéric 

Masson.     Paris,  Revue  hebdomadaire,  9  Janv.  1909. 


More  or  less  important  details  on  Napoleon's  captivity  are  also 
found  in  the  following  works,  which  do  not  treat  especially  of  St. 
Helena  :— 
Journal  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  late  Embassy  to  China.     By 

Henry  Ellis.     London,  printed  for  John  Murray,  181 7.     (Lord 

Amherst's  visit  to  Napoleon). 
Narrative  of  a  Voyage  in  His  Majesty's  late  Ship  Alceste  to  the 

Yellow  Sea.    By  John  M'Leod.    London,  John  Murray,  181 7. 

(Lord  Amherst's  visit  to  Napoleon.) 
Narrative  of  a  Journey  in  the  Interior  of  China.     By  Clarke  Abel. 

London,  printed  for  Longman,  Hunt,  Rees,  Orme  and  Brown, 

1818.     (Lord  Amherst's  visit  to  Napoleon.) 
Notes  on  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.     London,  John  Murray,  182 1. 
A  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  South  Africa.     By  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Latrobe. 

London,  L.  B.  Seeley,  182 1. 
History  of  the  Island  of  St.   Helena,  from  its  Discovery  by  the 

Portuguese  to  the  year  1823.    By  T.  H.  Brooke,  First  Member 

of  Council  of  St.  Helena.     Second  edition.     London,  printed 

for  Kingsbury,  Parbury  and  Allen,  1824. 
Life  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.    By  Sir  Walter  Scott.     London,  1827. 
Précis  des  guerres  de  Jules  César  par  l'Empereur  Napoléon,  écrit  à 

l'ile    Sainte-Hélène   sous    la   dictée    de   l'Empereur,    par   M. 

Marchand.     Charles  Gosselin.     Paris,  1836  (Preface). 
Trifles  from  my  Portfolio,  or  Recollections  of  Scenes  and  Small 

Adventures  during  Twenty-five  years  of  Military  Service  in  the 

Peninsular  War  and    Invasion  of    France,   the   East    Indies, 

Campaign  in  Nepaul,  St.  Helena  during  the  Detention  and 

until  the  Death  of  Napoleon,  and  Upper  and  Lower  Canada. 


368  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

By  a  Staff  Surgeon.     Quebec,   printed  by  William    Neilson, 

1839,  2  vol.1 
Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  Java,  China,  the  Great  Loo-Choo  Island. 

With  Accounts  of  Sir  Murray  Maxwell's  Attack  on  the  Chinese 

Batteries,  and  of  an  Interview  with  Napoleon  Buonaparte  at 

Saint   Helena.      By   Captain    Basil    Hall.     London,    Edward 

Moxon,  1844. 
Historical  Record  of  the  53rd  or  the  Shropshire  Regiment  of  Foot. 

Compiled  by  Richard  Cannon.     London,  Parker,  Furnival,  & 

Parker,  1849. 
Lord  Holland.  Foreign  Reminiscences.   Edited  by  his  son.   London, 

Longman,  185 1. 
Mémoires  et  correspondance  politique  du  roi  Joseph,  publiés  par 

A.  Ducasse.     Paris,  Perrotin,  1853-1854.     10  vol. 
Mémoires  et  correspondance  politique  et  militaire  du  prince  Eugène. 

Publiés  par  A.  Ducasse.  Paris,  Michel  Levy,  1 858-1 860, 10  vol. 
Planât  de  la  Faye.     Rome  et  Sainte  Hélène,   de   1815   à  182 1. 

Paris,  Turin,  1862. 
Mémoires  et  correspondance  du  roi  Jérôme  et  de  la  reine  Catherine. 

Publiés  par  A.  Ducasse.     Paris,  Dentu,  1 861-1866.     7  vol. 
The    66th    Berkshire   Regiment.      By    Percy   Groves.      Reading, 

published  by  Joseph  J.  Beecroft,  1887. 
History  of  the  20th  Regiment.     Compiled  by  Smith,  Lieutenant. 

London,  Simpkin,  Marshall,  &  Co.,  1889. 
Vie  de  Planât  de  la  Faye.     Souvenirs,  lettres  et  dictées  recueillis 

et  annotés  par  sa  veuve.     Paris,  Paul  Ollendorf,  1895. 
Les   bibliothèques    particulières    de    l'Empereur    Napoléon.      Par 

Antoine  Guillois.     Paris,  Henri  Leclerc,  1900. 
Mémoires   de   Fleury   de  Chaboulon,  publiés  par  Lucien  Cornet. 

Paris,  Edouard  Rouveyre,  1901,  2  vol.     (Preface.) 
The  Life  of  Napoleon.     By  John  Holland  Rose.     London,  George 

Bell  &  Sons,  1902,  2  vol. 
Napoleonic  Studies.     By  J.  Holland  Rose.      London,  George  Bell 

and   Sons,    1904.      (The   Detention    of   Napoleon   by   Great 

Britain  ;  Letters  of  Major  Gorrequer  from  Saint  Helena.) 
Les    indiscrétions    de   l'histoire,    40   série.      Par   le    Dr.    Cabanes. 

Paris,  Librairie  mondiale,  1907.     (Pierron's  Account  Book.) 

1  Second  edition  :  Events  of  a  Military  Life  :  being  Recollections  after  Service 
in  the  Peninsular  War,  Invasion  of  France,  the  East  Indies,  St.  Helena,  Canada 
and  elsewhere.  By  Walter  Henry,  Surgeon  to  the  Forcés,  first  class.  London, 
William  Pickering,  1843. 


A  SUMMARY   BIBLIOGRAPHY  369 

III. 

Publications  Relative  to  the  Exhumation  and  Removal 
of  Napoleon's  Remains  from  Saint  Helena. 

Narrative  of  Proceedings  connected  with  the  Exhumation  and 
Removal  of  the  Remains  of  the  late  Emperor  Napoleon,  by  a 
Resident.  Saint  Helena,  printed  for  the  Proprietor  by  William 
Bateman,  1840. 

Lettres  de  l'expédition  de  Sainte  Hélène  en  1840.  Par  Arthur 
Bertrand.     Paulin,  1841. 

Journal  écrit  à  bord  de  la  frigate  La  Belle  Pozile.  Par  Emmanuel 
Bon  de  Las  Cases.     Paris,  H.  L.  Delloye,  1841. 

Souvenirs  du  voyage  à  Sainte  Hélène.  Par  M.  l'Abbé  Coquere-au. 
Paris,  H.  L.  Delloye,  1841. 

Saint  Hélène.  Translation  du  cercueil  de  l'Empereur  Napoléon 
à  bord  de  la  frigate  La  Belle  Poule.  Histoire  et  vues 
pittoresques  de  tous  les  sites  de  l'île  se  rattachant  au  Mémorial 
de  Sainte  Hélène  et  à  l'expédition  de  S.  A.  R.  Meur  le  Prince 
de  Joinville.  Par  M.  Henri  Durand-Brayer.  Paris,  Gide, 
1844.     Folio. 

General  Gourgaud.  Expédition  de  Sainte  Hélène  en  1840.. 
Nouvelle  revue  rétrospective,  10  Janv.  1898. 

IV. 

Publications  in  which  the  Literary  Work  of  Napoleon 

at  Saint  Helena  is  to  be  found. 

(a)   General  Editions. 

Mémoires  pour  servir  à  l'histoire  de  France  sous  Napoléon,  écrits 
à  Sainte  Hélène  par  les  généraux  qui  ont  partagé  sa  cap- 
tivité.    Paris,  Didot-Bossange,  1822-1825.     8  vol. 

Correspondance  de  Napoléon  1.  Publiée  par  ordre  de  l'Empereur 
Napoléon  m.  Paris,  Imprimerie  impériale,  1858-1870. 
Tomes  xxix.-xxxii.     Folios. 

Commentaires  de  Napoléon  1".  Paris,  Imprimerie  impériale,  1867. 
6  vol.     Folios. 

(b)  Special  Editions. 

Letters  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  reply  to  Dr.  Warden,, 
with  extracts  from  the  great  work  now  compiling  for  publica- 
tion under  the  inspection  of  Napoleon.     Ridgway,  181 7. 

24 


37o  THE  DRAMA  OF  SAINT  HELENA 

Campagne  de  1S15,  écrite  à  Sainte  Hélène.  Par  le  général 
Gourgaud.     Paris,  Mangin,  1818;  London,  Ridgway,  1818. 

Le  manuscrit  de  l'île  d'Elbe,  ou  Des  Bourbons  en  181 5,  publié 
par  le  Comte  *  *  *     London,  Ridgway,  181 8. 

Observations  on  Lord  Bathurst's  Speech  in  the  House  of  Peers 
on  March  18,  181 7.     London,  Longman,  18 18. 

Mémoires  pour  servir  à  l'histoire  de  France  en  1815.  Paris, 
Barrois  aine,  1820. 

Raisons  dictées  en  réponse  à  la  question  si  l'ouvrage  intitulé 
"  Manuscrit  de  Sainte  Hélène  est  l'ouvrage  de  Napoléon  ou 
non."     London,  Phillips,  1820. 

Testament  de  Napoléon.     Paris,  Dupont,  1822. 

Précis  des  guerres  de  Jules  César,  par  l'Empereur  Napoléon,  écrit 
à  l'île  de  Sainte  Hélène  sous  la  dictée  de  l'Empereur  par 
M.  Marchand,  suivi  de  plusieurs  fragments  inédits  et  authen- 
tiques.    Paris,  Charles  Josselin,  1836. 

Campagnes  d'Egypte  et  de  Syrie,  mémoires  pour  servir  à  l'histoire 
de  France  sous  Napoleon,  dictés  par  lui-même  à  Sainte 
Hélène  et  publiés  par  le  général  Bertrand.  Paris,  Imprimeurs- 
Unis,  1847.     2  vol. 

Notes  sur  l'artillerie.     Revue  d'artillerie,  Juin,  1897. 

Notes  sur  la  fortification  permanente.  Revue  de  génie  militaire, 
Juillet,  1897. 


INDEX 


Abel,   Dr.,  86,  ÇO-94,   105,  319,  320, 

367. 

Alarm- House,  26,  170,  267,  314. 

Amherst,  Lord,  84-87,  90,  172,  259. 

Antommarchi,  Dr.,  9,  14,  15,  257,  263, 
264,  274-276,  278-280,  282,  289, 
290,  292,  297,  298,  300,  303,  304, 

352,  354-359,  364. 
Archambault,  the  two  brothers,  38,  40, 

43,  57,  61,  129,  130,  201,  255,  267, 

286,  299,  300,  325,  359. 
Arnott,  Dr.,  9,   14,  15,  220,  221.  253, 

276-287,  289,  290,  292,  293,  296- 

298,  300,  303,  352-354,  364- 

Baird,  Captain,  112. 
Balcombe,  Betsy,  alias  Mrs.  Abell,  22- 
24, 78-84,  143,  147,  148,  171,  172, 

197,  240,  314,  329,  331,  333,  365. 
Balcombe,    Mr.,    20,    143,    147,    197, 

3H- 
Balmain,  Count,  41,  52-54,  62,69,  80, 
146,  149-157,  219,  230,  254,  313, 
322-324,  327,  343,  347,  349,  350, 

365- 
Barn,  The,  31,  128,  171. 
Bathurst,  Lord,  xi.,  2,  47,  53,  61,  163, 

198,  199,  209,  277,  327,  334. 
Baxter,  Dr.,  343. 

Bernard  (servant),  38,  201,  263. 

Bertrand,  General,  Grand  Marshal,  33, 
37,  44,  45,  48,  77,  78,  84,  90,  91, 
95,  io5,  io9,  "5>  146,  171,  174, 
175=  177,  179,  190,  192,  194,  196, 
197,  201,  203,  221,  223,  235,  236, 
240,  243,  247,  255,  265,  267-269, 
271,  275-278,  281,  282,  286,  291, 
294,  295,  300,  303,  304,  308,  313, 
321,  325,  327,  335,  343,  347,  348, 

351,  353,  359,  370. 
Bertrand,  Countess,    36,   37,  45,    174, 
177,  190,  205,  228,  255,  320,  321, 
325,  359- 


Bibliography,     6,     7,    8,    9,    311-360, 

361-370. 
Bingham,   Sir   George,    71,    108,    109, 

115,  141,  179,  366. 
Blakeney,  Captain,  69,  1 18. 
Bouges  (servant),  6,  263,  313. 
Boys,  Rev.  Mr.,  137,  138,  145,  160,  344. 
Briars,  The,  20,  21-24,  27,  64,  65,  78- 

81,  137,   140,   169,   170,  175,  213, 

247. 
Buonavita,  Abbé,  257,  263,  275. 
Burton,  Dr.,  303,  354. 

Chandelier  (servant),  7,  257,  259,  260, 

262,  263,  275,  286,  300. 
Cipriani  (servant),  38,    165,   177,  179, 

201,  257,  325,  331,  339,  344. 
Cockburn,  Sir  George,  37,  44,  45,  78, 

79,  123,  168,  175,  i>6. 
Coffin,    Brigadier-General,     140,    141, 

142,  145,  148,  308. 
Cook,  Lieutenant,  90,  91. 
Coursot  (servant),  257,  286,  300. 
Crokat,  Captain,  303. 

Davy,  Lieutenant,  127,  128. 
Deaclwood,  19,  27,  28,  30,  31,  35,  61, 

68,  no,  126,  127,   130,   141,   157, 

158,  160,  169,  170,  315. 
Diana  Peak,  27,  28,  128,  170,  267,  270, 

314-  . 
Dodgin,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  62, 111,112. 
Doveton,  Sir  William,  267-271. 
Duncan,  Captain,  114. 

Ellis,    Mr.,    S6-90,    92-94,    105,    319, 
320,  367. 

Finlaison,  Mr.,  199,  224,  225. 
Flagstaff  Hill,  31,  15S,  170,  171,  205. 
Forsyth,  William,  4,   5,  6,   14,   58-62, 

151,  160,  165,  166,  213,  226,  230, 

231,  250,  339,  3^5- 


372 


INDEX 


Gentilini  (servant),  38,  201,  239,  255, 

275,  325- 
Gorrequer,   Major,  56,   154,  225,  302, 

SOS,  327.  332,  348,  350. 
Gors,  de,  146,  228,  322. 
Goulburn,     Right    Hon.    Henry,    198, 

326,  327-330,  332,  336,  337,  345. 
Gourgaud,    General,    6,    33,   38,    154, 

165,  174,  175,  177,  180,  181,  190- 
197,  200-202,  204,  206,  221,  228, 
252,  308-315,  321,  326-338,  345, 
359,  366,  370. 

Greentree,  Mrs.,  269. 
Griffiths,  Rev.  Mr.,  90,  91. 

Hall,  Captain  Basil,  7,  84,  94-109,  114, 
115,  172,  320,  368. 

Harrison,  Major,  303. 

Hayne,  Mr.,  90,  91. 

Heir,  Dr.,  114,  115. 

Henry,  Dr.,  9-13,  15-19,  24,  28-30, 
36,  37,  54,  62-65,  67-74,  So,  84, 
94,  107-109,  111-119,  125-131, 
138,  139,  141-145,  148-150,  156, 
172,  209,  215,  216,  253,  261,  276, 
302,  304,  305,  311,  313-315.  320- 
322,  327,  339-344,  367,  368. 

High  Knoll,  170. 

Holland,  Lord,  209. 

Hook,  Theodore,  138-140,  145,  160, 
228,  251,  322,  363. 

Jackson,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Basil,  69, 
70,  318,  319,  365. 

Jackson,  Major,  287. 

Jamestown,  18,  19,  24,  25,  27,  33, 63-66, 
121-123,  125,  127,  130,  132-134, 
138,  139,  141,  143,  153,  154,  157, 

166,  169-171,  202,  274,   308,  309. 
Johnson,  Miss,  149-151,  156,  322. 
Jordan,  Captain,  113. 

Keir,  Brigadier-General,  143-145. 

Las  Cases,  Count  de,  6,  3s,  57,  58, 
69,  193,   201,  202,  204,  225,  286, 

338,  344,  345,  347,  364- 
Las   Cases,    Emmanuel    de,    38,    167, 

191,  201,  308,  359,  369. 
Lambert,  Admiral,  306. 
Laroche  (servant),  259,  260. 
Lascelles,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  62,  no, 

in. 
Lepage  (servant),  38,  201,  259. 
L'Estrange,  Captain,  113,  117. 
Limits,    Napoleon's,    34,    44,    48,    49, 

50,  54,  85,  266. 


Livingstone,  Dr.,  303,  354. 

Longwood  House,  x.,  19,  31-33,  36, 
44,  50,  56,  60,  158,  159,  178,  215, 
232,  260,  261,  264,  307,  324,  325. 

Longwood  Plateau,  3,  19,  27,  30-35, 
50,  60,  62,  65,  67,  So-84,  126, 
139,  153,  163,  167-172,  202,  215- 
217,  254,  265,  315,  329. 

Loudon  and  Moira,  Countess  of,  48. 

Lowe,  Sir  Hudson,  xi.,  xii.,  2,  3,  6, 
14,  37-70,  83,  84,  86,  92,  114,  130, 
131,  133,  134,  139,  140,  147,  151- 

155,  160,  166,  176,  195,  198,  199, 
209,  213,  220,  223,  225-230,  234- 
240,  243,  244,  248-250,  252,  254- 
257,  264,  266,  268,  274,  276-281, 
294,  296,  302,  304,  307,  311,  318, 
319,  322-324,  326,  328,  330,  332, 
334-336,  344,  346,  351. 

Lowe,    Lady,  64,   131-134,   138,    140, 

147,  149,  160. 
Lowe,  Miss,  318,  319. 
Lutyens,  Captain,  265,  2S7,  303. 
Lynn,  Dr.,  90,  91,  201. 

MacCarthy,  Lieutenant,  1 10. 

MacDougall,  127-128. 

MacLeod,  86,  90-94,  105,  319,  320,  367. 

Maitland,  Captain,  ix.,  75,  76,  84,  364. 

Malcolm,  Admiral,  44,  45,  55,  69,  133, 
136,  165-230,  267,  319,  322. 

Malcolm,  Lady,  231,  319,  366. 

Marchand  (servant),  33,  38,  157,  159, 
192,  201,  202,  255,  284,  286, 
291-298,  300,  303,  304,  308,  325, 

353,  359,  367- 
Marie  Louise,  161,  285. 
Masselin,  Captain,  215,  362. 
Maxwell,  Captain,  90,  103. 
Melliss,  John  Charles,  216,  362. 
Mitchell,  Dr.,  298,  303,  354. 
Montchenu,  Marquis  de,  6,  41,  52,  53, 

69,   80,    145-149,   151,    153,    154, 

156,  219,  228,  230,  254,  306,  322- 

324,  330,  346,  347,  365. 
Montholon,  General  de,  xiii.,  xiv.,  xv\, 

33,  38,  43,  53,  69,  154,  165,  177, 
190,   192,  194-197,  201,  202,  205, 

225,  233,  235,  236,  238-240,  242, 
255,  265,  267,  26S,  271,  273,  275- 
278,  283,  284,  286-289,  291-294, 
296,  299,  300,  303,  304,  317,  321, 

325,  327,  335,  348-351,  353,  365- 
Montholon,  Countess  de,  36,   38,   162, 

174,  177,  181,  185,  186,  190,  202, 

226,  255-257,  366. 
Mount  Pleasant,  267-271. 


INDEX 


373 


Napoleon's  possibilities  of  escape,  x. ,  34, 
35,  50-52,  124,  328,  329,  331-333, 
335,  338;  habits>  35,  36,  157, 
159-164,  167-180,  184-188,  203- 
206,  258,  259,  260,  262-266,  324, 
327,  345  ;  conversations,  76,  79, 
82,  87-90,  96-105,  107,  109-119, 
184-187,  193-196;  readings,  164, 
165,  180-184  ;  literary  work, 
165-169,  204,  205,  331,  369,  370  ; 
health,  xii.,  xiii.,  xiv.,  xv.,  2,  3, 
14,  15,  105,  106,  212-222,  232- 
257,  263,  264,  266,  272-301,  327, 
329-331,  333-335,  338;  autopsy, 
302-305,  353-359. 

NichollSj  Captain,  69,  233,  237,  238, 
242,  243,  256,  257,  265. 

Nicol,  Colonel,  62,  109,  no,  116, 
118,  130,  142. 

Noverraz  (servant),  38,  177,  201,  205, 
255,  286,  300,  325,  359. 

O'Meara,  Dr.  Barry,  x.,  xii.,  xiv.,  6, 
9,  53,  56,  69,  So,  85,  95,  159,  161, 
187,  198-201,  206,  218-232,  234- 
236,  248,  256,  257,  297,  313,  314, 
329,  331,  333,  335,  337,  33$,  340- 
346,  351- 

Osmond,  Marquis  d',  330-332,  345- 

Pierron    (servant),    38,    41,    201,    255, 

257,  259,  260,  286,  298,  303,  304, 

319,  325,  359,  368. 
Piontkowski,  Captain,   38,  40,  43,  57, 

61,  201. 
Plampin,  Admiral,   134-138,    140,  145, 

234,  236-240,  242-248,  250,  311. 
Plantation  House,  x.,  42,  48,  56,  60, 

63-6S,  130,  136,  154,  262. 
Poppleton,  Captain,  327,  333. 
Pritchard,  Mrs.,  141,  142. 
Punch    Bowl,    Devil's,    27,    143,    144, 

267,  306. 


Reade,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Vice-Adju- 
tant General  Sir  Thomas,  134,  2S0, 
,  2S1,  303,  304. 

Reichstadt,  Duke  of,  alias  King  of 
Rome,  23,  161,  173,  185,  Ib6,  2S5, 
286,  288,  289,  291,  295,  297,  307, 

325,  326,  352,  353- 
Rose,  Dr.  Holland,  xiii.,  315-319. 
Rosebery,  Lord,  viii.,  xii.,  4,  5,  61.  231, 

299,  333- 
Rosemary  Hall,  146,  157. 
Rousseau  (servant),  38,  40,  43,  57,  61, 

201,  325. 

Saint -Denis  (servant),  38,  162,  201, 
255,    286,    300,     303,    304,    325, 

359- 
Sandy  Bay,  27,  267,  270,  271. 
Santini,  38,  40,  155,  201,  325,  363. 
Seaton,  Mr.  R.  C. ,  xi.,  xii.,  xiii.,  3-6, 

14,  15,  60-62,  151,  160,  166,  215, 

226,  230-232,  311-313,  366. 
Shorrt,  Dr.,  298,  303,  304,  354. 
Stokoe,  Dr.,  x.,  xiv.,  1-5,  9,  54,  69, 

220,  233-254,  256,  257,  311,  312, 

3H,  335,  366. 
Stunner,  Baron,  6,  41,  43,  52,  53,   57, 

61,  69,   131,    146,    152-157,    219, 

230,  254,  323,  324,  327,  332,  343, 

346-351,  365. 

Veiling,     Dr.,    232,     233,    235,     238, 

243-245,  257,  351. 
Vernon,  Rev.  Mr.,  133,  134,  137,  145, 

344- 
Vignali,    Abbé,    257,    263,     2S6,    290, 
294,  297,  298,  304,  306. 

Warden,    William,    9,    76-78,  So,  84, 

I3i>  313,  314,  319,  363,  369- 
Wilks,  Colonel,  132. 


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Edinburgh 


UC  SOUTHt  HN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  920  947    9 


